J# 


vS    (.- 


LETTERS 


I-KOM 


PORTUGAL,  SPAIN,  &  FRANCE, 


WRITTEN 


DURING  THE  CAMPAIGNS 

OF 

1812,  1813,  &1814, 

ADDRESSED  TO  A  FRIEND  IN  ENGLAND; 

DESCRIBING 

V!IF.    LEADING    FEATURES    OF    THE    PROVINCES    PASSED 

THROUGH,   AND  THE  STATE  OF  SOCIETY,  MANNERS, 

HABITS  &C.    OF  THE  PEOPLE. 


BY  S,   D.  BROUGHTOX, 


LONDON: 

WU.VJLU    FOB    LONGMAN,    HURST,   REES,   ORME,   AM)  BnOfl'N, 
PATERNOSTER    ROW, 


LOAN  STACK 


E.  Blackader,  Printer, 
Took's  Court,  Chancery  Lane,  Londoiu 


D  C  a  ■ 
B76 


PREFACE, 


The  following  Letters  were  written 
originally  at  the  request  of  a  domestic 
circle  of  friends.  The  Author  is  aware 
that  they  possess  very  slender  claims 
only  to  literary  merit,  and  anticipates 
many  objections  that  may  be  raised  on 
the  score  of  presumption,  against  his  of- 
fering them  to  the  Public,  which  would 
probably  have  greatly  swayed  with  him 
in  entirely  suppressing  them,  if  the  live- 
ly interest  recently  taken  in  every  thing 
relating  to  the   countries  through  which 


835 


IV  PREFACE. 

he  passed,  joined  to  the  wishes,  and 
perhaps  partial  commendation,  of  his 
friends,  had  not  induced  him  to  adopt 
an  opposite  resolution. 

During  the  progress  of  a  long 
march,  commenced  at  Lisbon,  and  ter- 
minated at  Boulogne,  comprehending  a 
tract  of  between  fifteen  hundred  and 
two  thousand  miles,  the  .Author  made 
it  his  unde  via  ting  practice  to  note  down 
faithfully,  at  the  close  of  each  day,  every 
circumstance  which  appeared  to  him 
worthy  of  remark,  and  it  was  from 
these  sources  that  he  has  been  enabled 
to  collect  materials  sufficient  for  the  fol- 
lowing series  of  Letters  to  his  Fneds. 

Whatever    may  be   its  merits   in 
other  respects,  it  is  at  least  entitled  to 


PREFACE. 


that  of  unbiassed  veracity,  as  the  Author 
has  scrupulously  abstained  from  record- 
ing any  thing  that  did  not  immediately 
come  within  the  sphere  of  his  own  ob- 
servation, or  upon  the  truth  of  which 
his  own  experience  had  not  taught  him 
to  rely. 

Throughout  the  Letters,  the  Au- 
thor, from  very  obvious  reasons,  has 
studiously  avoided  giving  any  informa- 
tion, or  expressing  any  opinion,  upon 
military  affairs,  any  farther  than  was 
necessary  to  give  a  general  idea  of 
events  which  it  was  desirable  to  notice 
slightly. 

In  conclusion,  the  Author  feels  it  to 
be  due  to  his  own  character  to  state, 
that    the    speculations    and   prospective 


VI  PREFACE. 

observations,  which  from  time  to  time 
he  has  been  disposed  to  indulge  in,  re- 
lative to  the  ultimate  consequences  of 
our  successes  in  Spain,  and  the  occu- 
pation of  Paris  by  the  Allied  Armies, 
were  written,  it  is  well  known,  at  a  pe- 
riod long  prior  to  the  melancholy  events 
which  have  since  actually  occurred. 


LETTER  I. 


Arrival  at  Lisbon — Principal  Places  of  Resort — First 
View  of  the  Town  and  Neighbourhood — Billetting. 


Bellem,  November,  1812- 
As  soon  as  I  had  recovered  from  the  fa- 
tigues of  a  very  boisterous  voyage,  and 
surmounted  the  various  difficulties  attend- 
ant upon  a  first  arrival  in  a  strange  country, 
and  among  people  of  habits  and  language 
so  very  different  from  those  of  our  own, 
I  recollected  our  mutual  promise  to  cor- 
respond, and  accordingly  began  a  regular 
journal  of  events. 

I  commence  my  undertaking  with  the 
first  opportunity  that  has  occurred  since  our 
disembarkation,  hoping  to  have  closed  it 

B 


2  Portugal; 

many  hundred  leagues  hence;  but,  after 
the  disappointments  which  have  happened 
at  Burgos,  I  much  fear  that  for  a  long  time 
I  shall  be  under  the  necessity  of  confining 
my  remarks  to  Portugal  alone. 

It  is  however  to  be  wished,  and  probably  to 
be  expected,  that  the  re-opening  of  the  en- 
suing campaign  will  be  more  successful  than 
the  termination  of  the  last,  as  our  govern- 
ment must  now  feel  convinced  of  the  ne- 
cessity of  the  greatest  exertion,  or  of  re- 
linquishing the  contest  altogether.  In  the 
mean  while  as  we  shall  no  doubt  move  to- 
wards head-quarters  by  slow  degrees,  I 
probably  shall  have  many  opportunities  of 
becoming  acquainted  with  the  principal 
features  of  the  country  which  we  shall 
have  to  traverse. 

Under  the  existing  circumstances  of  the 
kingdom  this  is  the  most  agreeable  season  of 
the  year  at  Lisbon,  when  the  breaking-up 
of  the  army  and  its  getting  into  winter- 
quarters  cause  the  town  to  be  more  fre- 
quented than  during  the  spring  or  summer* 


PORTUGAL.  3 

It  is  accordingly  now  excessively  crowded, 
not  only  with  officers,  but  also  with  visitors, 
merchants,  tradespeople  &c.  of  all  ranks 
and  descriptions.  Large  meetings  for  so- 
ciety and  amusement  are  held  at  Sir  Charles 
Stewart's  (the  ambassador's),  where  a  very 
handsome  suite  of  rooms  is  open  every  al- 
ternate Monday,  for  dancing  and  cards,  in 
addition  to  the  occasional  dinner-parties 
and  more  select  evening  assemblies;  while 
the  theatres,  hotels,  and  gambling-houses 
are  all  open  and  much  resorted  to. 

The  consul,  Mr.  Jeffery,  also  gives  very 
splendid  balls  and  dinners,  and  some  of  the 
principal  merchants  follow  his  example;  but 
the  Port-admiral  (Martin)  does  not  enter- 
tain so  much  company  as  his  predecessor, 
Admiral  Berkeley.  Water-parties  up  the 
Tagus  and  a  few  pleasant  rides  complete 
the  principal  sources  of  amusement.  Upon 
all  these  I  shall  perhaps  have  occasion  to 
remark  in  a  subsequent  letter,  when  I  have 
had  more  time  to  pay  attention  to  matters 
of  this  description. 

B  2 


4>  PORTUGAL. 

Lisbon  is  so  well  known  that  any  minute 
description  of  it  will  be  unnecessary;  I 
cannot  however  refrain  from  endeavouring 
to  give  you  an  idea  of  the  town  and  the 
adjacent  country  as  they  appear  on  entering 
the  harbour,  though  it  is  difficult  to  do 
justice  to  the  subject.  On  arriving,  a  short 
time  before  sun-set,  in  the  broad  mouth  of 
the  Tagus,  the  sudden  contrast  we  expe- 
rienced was  extremely  striking.  We  had 
quitted  England  in  the  worst  autumnal 
weather,  encountering  the  severest  equi- 
noctial gales,  and  suddenly  we  found  our- 
selves transported  to  a  mild  and  genial  cli- 
mate, very  similar  to  that  which  we  expe- 
rience during  the  finest  summer  months  in 
England.  The  sea  was  perfectly  calm  and 
the  sky  without  a  cloud,  while  the  sun  set- 
ting below  the  tops  of  the  mountains  cast 
a  quiet  shade  upon  their  rocky  surfaces, 
giving  a  delightful  softness  to  the  prospect, 
which,  under  a  meridian  sun,  produces  a 
sharpness  of  effect  somewhat  oppressive  to 
an  eye  unaccustomed  to  southern  latitudes. 
Upon  our  right  rose  the  lofty  and  sombre 
hills   of  the   Alentejo,  and  on  our  left  the 


PORTUGAL.  5 

magnificent  rock  of  Lisbon,  towering  at 
different  points  to  an  immense  height,  and 
stretching  over  a  vast  extent  of  country. 
Groves  of  olive  and  orange-trees  inter- 
spersed upon  its  sides,  contrasted  with  the 
grey  granite  of  the  rock,  produced  a  beau- 
tiful effect.  A  few  convents  are  built  in 
these  gloomy  regions,  and  various  religious 
houses  crown  even  the  loftiest  summits  of 
the  mountains. 

As  we  passed  up  the  river,  Cascaes,  the 
Bugio  Fort,  Fort  St.  Julian,  and  Bellem 
with  its  castle  projecting  out  towards  the 
river  upon  the  sands,  Buenos  Ayres,  and  Lis- 
bon successively  came  in  sight;  the  three 
latter  exhibiting  the  appearance  of  one  con- 
tinued town  which  viewed  at  a  distance 
from  the  extreme  clearness  of  the  atmos- 
phere and  the  whiteness  of  the  houses,  pro- 
duced altogether  a  splendor  and  brilliancy 
that  was  far  from  being  realized  on  a  nearer 
inspection;  and  the  harbour,  which  is  very 
spacious  and  convenient,  being  at  this  time 
crowded  with  ships,  added  much  to  the 
liveliness  of  the   scene.     Although  I   felt 


6  PORTUGAL. 

very  desirous  to  quit  the  ship,  and  once 
more  get  a  footing  upon  terra  Jirma,  yet 
recollecting  that  no  foreign  country  affords 
that  certainty  of  a  comfortable  reception 
to  strangers  which  is  so  uniformly  to  be 
met  with  in  an  English  inn,  I  thought  it  pru- 
dent to  remain  where  I  was  for  the  night. 
The  difficulties  which  I  encountered  the 
following  day  fully  convinced  me  of  the 
propriety  of  my  resolution. 

Hotels  in  all  the  three  towns  are  to  be 
met  with,  and  by  giving  due  notice  a  bad 
dinner,  at  a  most  extravagant  price,  maybe 
procured ;  but  at  this  time  when  the  army 
was  breaking  up  and  reinforcements  daily 
arriving  from  England,  a  bed  was  not  easily 
to  be  found. 

When  I  had  cleared  my  baggage  from 
the  ship  I  had  to  encounter  various  per- 
plexing difficulties  in  procuring  a  billet, 
which,  after  two  fatiguing  days  spent  in 
running  about  the  town  (before  all  par- 
ties concerned  were  accommodated)  I  at 
length  effected,  and   obtained    admission 


PORTUGAL, 


into  an  untenanted  house  (unless  the  rats 
mice,  and  smaller  race  of  vermin  with 
which  it  swarmed  can  be  regarded  as  inha- 
bitants) possessing  no  other  furniture  than 
a  few  old  chairs  and  tables,  which  however 
comprise  all  the  domestic  utensils  absolute- 
ly indispensible  to  an  officer's  billet,  when 
prepared  for  a  campaign ;  his  own  bedding 
and  canteen  (which  always  accompany 
him)  supplying  every  other  deficiency. 

I  shall  now  close  this  letter  in  the  ex- 
pectation of  being  shortly  able  to  give  you 
some  account  of  the  principal  objects  wor- 
thy of  attention  in  this  city. 


8  PORTUGAL. 


LETTER  II. 


Preparations  for  a  Campaign — General  Description 
of  Lisbon,  Buenos  Ayres,  Bellem. 


Bellem,  November,  1812. 
No  sooner  are  we  comfortably  settled  in 
our  billets  tban  we  must  turn  our  atten- 
tion to  provisions  for  a  march,  a  circum- 
stance which,  from  the  instant  of  our  setting 
foot  upon  dry  land  to  the  moment  of  our  ad- 
vance, should  always  have  been  considered 
as  hanging  over  our  heads  "  in  terrorem." 

Accordingly  I  lost  no  time  in  going  to 
the  mule  market,  constantly  held  near  the 
Roscio  in  Lisbon  upon  appointed  days,  un- 
less any  great  saint's  day  or  other  church 
festival  interfere.     The  demand  being  very 


TORTUGAL. 


great,  and  the  venders  monopolizing  all 
the  mules  in  the  country  for  this  market, 
cause  the  prices  asked  to  be  proportionably 
high:  but  as  mules  contribute  so  much  to 
the  comfort  of  officers  while  marching 
through  desolated  countries,  it  is  advise- 
able  to  procure  as  many  as  you  can  per^ 
suade  the  commissary  to  feed.  I  have 
found  these  animals  since  my  arrival  pecu- 
liarly useful  for  riding,  and  probably  shall 
in  future  become  more  sensible  of  their 
value  in  this  point  of  view,  as  well  as  for 
the  conveyance  of  baggage.  They  are  gene- 
rally very  well  broken  in,  quiet  and  docile, 
while  their  hardiness  and  sureness  of  foot 
render  them  better  adapted  than  English 
horses  for  rough  and  common  work.  I 
have  rode  through  the  town  upon  one  of 
them,  and  from  the  nature  of  most  of  the 
streets  have  reason  to  feel  grateful  to  him 
for  the  preservation  of  my  neck. 

This  excursion  every  where  strongly  re- 
minded me  of  Sterne's  exclamation  on  en- 
tering Paris  : — "  The  streets,  however,  are 


10  PORTUGAL. 

nasty— but  I  suppose  it  looks  better  than 
it  smells." 

From  the  quantity  and  heterogeneous 
quality  of  the  filth  which  is  thrown  from 
every  window  into  the  streets,  without  far- 
ther ceremony  than  sometimes  a  warning 
(which  by  law  ought  to  be  repeated  thrice) 
of  "  agua  vai,"  meant  to  caution  the  pas- 
sengers that  water  is  coming,  you  would 
naturally  suppose  that  the  people  of  Lis- 
bon cannot  be  healthy  in  so  hot  a  climate, 
constantly  inhaling  effluvia,  the  sources  of 
which  even  the  multitude  of  dogs  (amount- 
ing, by  a  computation  formerly  made,  to 
80,000)  that  enter  the  town  in  the  night  is 
not  sufficient  to  consume ;  and  I  assure 
you  your  supposition  would  be  well  founded, 
for  the  people  in  general  appear  very  pallid 
and  emaciated,  arising,  no  doubt,  from 
the  above  causes  and  their  uncleanly  mode 
of  living. 

The  prevailing  nuisance  of  throwing 
every  species  of  filth   into  the  streets  i^ 


rORTUG.-iX.  11 

peculiarly  striking  to  every  one  acquainted 
with  the  town  as  a  most  unpardonable 
negligence  on  the  part  of  the  police;  a 
negligence  the  more  extraordinary  from 
Lisbon  possessing  so. extensive  and  intimate 
an  intercourse  with  England,  and  so  many 
of  the  other  European  powers.  When 
Junot  occupied  Lisbon,  I  understand  he 
took  the  law  into  his  own  hands,  ordered 
the  streets  to  be  cleansed,  the  filth  to  be 
conveyed  to  appointed  reservoirs  con- 
structed for  carrying  it  off  into  proper  chan- 
nels, and  the  hungry  race  of  dogs — "  their 
occupation  gone" — to  be  destroyed.  This 
gave  equal  offence  to  all  parties  concerned, 
and  the  abolition  of  the  custom  appears  to 
have  shocked  public  feeling  as  much  as  the 
existence  of  such  a  nuisance  would  in  a 
town  of  our  country.  When  the  British 
power  was  resumed,  this,  among  others  of 
their  good  old  customs  and  privileges,  was 
restored.  It  is  to  be  hoped,  however,  that 
time  may  effect  improvements  in  the  in- 
ternal regulation  of  this  great  city,  which 
policy  alone,  I  conceive,  has  induced  the 
British  government    to  avoid  attempting 


12  PORTUGAL. 

hitherto,  and  that  when  the  work  of  re- 
formation does  begin  it  will  be  extended 
to  other  objects  j  for  I  suspect  that  the 
fullest  account  which  has  been  given  of 
the  worst  parts,  and  .the  most  abandoned 
inhabitants  of  St.  Giles's  or  the  Borough, 
cannot  exceed,  perhaps  not  equal  the  de- 
pravity and  squalid  wretchedness  prevailing 
in  most  parts  of  Lisbon. 

But  to  turn  to  subjects  of  a  different  and 
more  pleasing  nature,  I  shall  now  proceed 
to  give  you  a  general  description  of  the 
city  itself.  Ascending  a  very  steep  hill 
at  the  eastern  end  of  the  town  you  arrive 
at  the  castle,  commanding  a  very  fine  and 
extensive  prospect;  but  which,  from  its 
ruinous  and  imperfect  state,  has  no  other 
attraction.  It  was  formerly  a  barrack,  but 
is  now  a  depot  for  prisoners. 

The  houses  of  the  Portuguese  noblesse 
and  rich  merchants  have  an  air  of  grandeur 
and  splendor.  But  most  of  those  form- 
ing the  streets  are  in  a  very  bad  state  of 
repair,  though    from  their  loftiness,  bal- 


PORTUGAL.  13 

conies,  and  whitened  walls,  they  present 
an  imposing  appearance  upon  a  cursory 
and  general  view.  The  streets  are  now 
better  lighted  than  those  of  most  Eng- 
lish towns  ;  though  in  former  days  they 
wanted  this  advantage,  no  lights  beins: 
perceptible  except  some  few'  faint  glimmer- 
ings which  superstition  placed  before  statues 
of  the  Virgin  Mary.  It  is  consequently 
not  so  dangerous  as  formerly  to  walk 
through  Lisbon  at  night,  when  robbers 
infesting  the  streets  under  the  protection 
of  darkness,  and  the  contents  of  various 
vessels  from  the  windows,  united  with  the 
hungry  dogs  awaiting  their  fall,  conspired 
to  assail  you  with  no  trifling  alarms.  It 
is  true  the  lamps  are  rather  scantily  dis- 
tributed, but  they  are  larger  in  size,  and 
supplied  with  better  oil  than  ours.  Very 
lew  streets  have  any  path-way  raised  upon 
their  sides,  which  makes  it  disagreeable  to 
foot-passengers.  The  two  finest  squares  are 
the  Koscio,  and  the  Praca  de  Commercio. 
The  ibrmer  is  more  spacious,  and  less  regu- 
lar and  handsome.  The  hulls,  offices  &c. 
of  the  Inquisition  formerly  occupied  a  part 


14  PORTUGAL. 

of  this  square.  The  other  square  consists 
of  lofty  houses  regularly  and  handsomely 
constructed,  with  piazzas  to  walk  under, 
which  take  up  three  of  the  sides,  the  fourth 
being  open  to  the  river.  In  the  centre  stands 
a  very  fine  equestrian  statue,  in  bronze,  of 
one  of  the  Josephs  of  Portugal.  Two  hand- 
some streets  also  furnished  with  piazzas, 
called  Gold  and  Silver-street,  connect  the 
two  squares,  and  form  what  may  be  called 
the  Bond-street  of  Lisbon.  There  are  also 
some  public  gardens  (somewhat  resembling 
those  of  Lincoln's-Inn)  near  the  Roscio, 
in  which  the  fashionables  of  the  town  .occa- 
sionally walk.  The  arsenal  is  a  tolerable 
building,  but  small  and  insignificant  when 
compared  with  any  structure  of  that  nature 
in  England.  Horses  are  disembarked  at 
this  place,  but  (owing  to  the  confined 
dimensions  of  the  pier)  only  one  ship  at  a 
time  can  be  brought  along  side. 

The  churches  particularly  attract  the  eye 
of  a  stranger  from  their  majestic  size,  and, 
in  some  instances  from  their  elegance. 
The  church  dedicated  to  St.  Paul  in  Buenos 


PORTUGAL.  15 

Ayres  stands  first  in  magnitude  and  beauty: 
it  is  composed  of  a  kind  of  free-stone, 
which  preserves  its  whiteness.  The  exterior 
is  beautifully  finished  with  carvings  of 
scriptural  histories,  fret-work  &c.  It  stands 
in  a  spacious  open  place  railed  round  ;  and 
adjacent  to  it,  and  formerly  connected  with 
it,  is  a  very  magnificent  convent  now  em- 
ployed for  hospital  stores,  and  the  offices 
&c.  of  the  medical  staff.  The  bridge  which 
connects  Lisbon  with  Bellem  is  a  strong  and 
handsome  work,  and  is  famous  for  a  severe 
struggle  when  the  French  were  driven  away 
from  the  city.  Bellem  is  a  cleaner  and  piea- 
santer  town  to  reside  in  than  Lisbon.  From 
the  extremity  of  one  to  that  of  the  other  in- 
cludes a  distance  of  about  five  or  six  miles. 
The  prospect  from  the  upper  part  of  this 
town  facing  the  entrance  to  the  harbour 
is  very  fine,  and  from  the  neighbouring 
heights  a  cool  and  refreshing  air  is  enjoyed. 
Bellem  has  always  been  the  residence  of 
the  court.  The  Prince  Regent  has  an  old 
palace  here  in  bad  repair  and  dismantled 
of  its  furniture.  The  gardens  are  in  some- 
what  better  condition,  and  laid  our  in  {},<• 


IS  £ORTUGA£. 

same  formal  style  which  we  see  represented 
in  the  old  prints  of  the  gardens  of  the  last 
century.  They  contain  abundance  of  de- 
lightful orange-trees,  at  this  season  of  the 
year  creating  the  most  fragrant  scent, 
and  loaded  with  fruit,  with  which  those 
who  visit  the  gardens  are  allowed  to  regale 
themselves.  A  botanic  garden  is  attached 
to  it,  though  not  kept  in  the  highest  order. 
There  is  also  a  less  pleasing  though  more 
curious  novelty  here  in  the  form  of  an  ana- 
tomical collection,  where  dry  and  wet  pre- 
parations exhibit  specimens  of  nature  in 
most  of  her  stages,  together  with  numerous 
instances  of  lusus  naturae.  Adjacent  to 
the  palace  is  a  spacious  and  elegant  riding- 
school,  where  the  royal  stud  is  exercised 
and  horses  are  broken  in. 

The  manner  in  which  the  Portuguese 
break  in  their  horses  is  somewhat  curious, 
and  has  afforded  me  much  amusement. 
These  people  appear  to  differ  very  deci- 
dedly from  Englishmen  in  the  ideas  they 
entertain  of  the  use  which  an  horse  should 
make  of  his  legs.    Weights  are  fixed  to  the 


PORTUGAL.  17 

animal's  feet,  which,  in  order  to  avoid  en- 
tangling with  his  legs,  renders  it  necessary 
for  him  to  twist  them  in  a  very  peculiar 
mode;  and,  when  he  has  acquired  the  habit 
of  going  in  this  manner,  with  a  sort  of  up- 
and-down  motion  having  the  appearance  of 
moving  with  rapidity  without  any  of  the 
reality  (very  well  calculated  for  the  duties 
of  parade),  he  is  dismissed  the  school. 
The  horses  have  their  mouths  rendered  ex- 
ceedingly tender,  so  as  to  require  the  light- 
est hand  in  exercising  them  to  this  singu- 
lar kind  of  amble. 

Upon  the  summit  of  the  hill  the  Regent 
has  a  new  palace  in  an  unfinished  state.  It 
is  built  of  a  kind  of  white  free-stone,  or 
soft  granite,  and  when  completed  will  be 
one  of  the  most  magnificent  buildings  in 
Europe.  But  much  is  yet  to  be  done,  and 
very  little  I  believe  is  in  the  royal  coffers 
towards  its  completion.  The  ground  and 
gardens  surrounding  the  palace  will  be, 
when  finished,  very  fine ;  but  the  park 
stands  at  a  distance,  and  some  little  wa\ 
from  the  town.  It  is  well  walled  round 
c 


18  PORTUGAL. 

and  wooded,  and  forms  a  delightful  ride. 
Instead  of  being  supplied  with  deer  it  is 
stocked  with  pigs  of  a  small  black  kind 
living  chiefly  upon  sweet  acorns,  which 
gives  their  flesh  a  tenderness  and  delicacy 
of  flavour  unknown  in  our  pork.  I  confess 
I  should  feel  considerable  alarm  for  their 
flavour  if  they  should  chance  to  make  their 
escape  from  the  park,  and  effect  any  altera- 
tion in  their  diet  from  the  temptations  they 
would  encounter  without  the  walls. 

The  next  object  which  excites  attention 
is  the  convent  of  Saint  Jeronimo,  and  the 
church  attached  to  it.  These  are,  very  fine 
specimens  of  the  gothic  architecture.  They 
are  beautifully  ornamented  with  carved 
work  upon  their  porticos,  arches  &c.  A 
few  friars  inhabit  the  former  building, 
though  the  major  part  of  it  is  assigned  to 
the  sick  and  wounded  soldiers. 

Upon  the  sands  at  the  side  of  the  har- 
bour's mouth  stands  Bellem  Castle,  an  an- 
cient building  with  a  tower,  situated  in  a 
particularly   strong  position.      There  are 


PORTUGAL.  19 

gateways  also  indicative  of  fortifications 
formerly  guarding  this  entrance  to  Bellem 
and  Lisbon.  I  have  now  brought  you  to 
the  end  of  a  morning's  tour,  the  account 
of  which  may  be  as  fatiguing  to  you  as  the 
ride  was  to  me. 


C2 


20  PORTUGAL. 


LETTER   III. 


Interior  Description  of  Lisbon — Construction  of  the 
Houses — Domestic  Arrangements — Diet — Carriages 
— Instances  of  Bigotry  and  Devotion — Procession 
of  the  Host. 


Bellem,  December,  1812. 

Having  endeavoured  in  my  last  letter  to 
give  you  a  general  idea  of  Lisbon  as  it 
appears  upon  a  cursory  view,  I  shall  now 
proceed  to  give  you  some  notion  of  the  in- 
terior construction  of  the  houses,  and  of 
the  domestic  arrangements  of  their  inha- 
bitants. The  style  of  the  old  houses  ap- 
pears for  the  most  part  to  be  Saracenic, 
but  that  of  the  more  modern  ones  seems  to 
deviate  occasionally  from  the  ancient  mo- 
del ;  the  more  fashionable  houses  partaking 


PORTUGAL.  21 

somewhat  of  the  refinement  of  Parisian 
elegance.  In  the  oldest  houses,  dark,  dir- 
ty and  moth-eaten  tapestry  lines  the  walls, 
and  covers  the  bedding  and  chairs.  Al- 
most every  house  is  furnished  with  a  bal- 
cony, it  forming  one  of  the  chief  amuse- 
ments of  the  families  to  stand  in  it  for 
hours  looking  into  the  streets.  The  panes 
of  glass  in  the  windows  (always  of  a  very 
inferior  quality)  are  mostly  broken  to 
pieces,  and  are  rarely  as  far  as  I  can  un- 
derstand repaired ;  which  indeed  is  the 
case  with  almost  every  thing  in  their  houses. 
Their  furniture  seldom  exceeds  a  few  ta- 
bles and  chairs,  and  some  grotesque  figures 
of  the  Virgin  and  Our  Saviour  carefully 
preserved,  with  abundance  of  small  crosses 
dispersed  about  the  room :  one  of  the 
latter  is  commonly  suspended  over  a  bason 
of  holy  water,  and  placed  by  the  head  of 
the  bed  in  order  (as  they  informed  me)  to 
defeat  the  machinations  of  evil  spirits. 

As  the  houses  seem  constructed  entirely 
to  alleviate  the  effects  of  heat,  they  are  not 
calculated  to  preserve  the  inhabitants  from 


22  PORTUGAL. 

cold,  and,  as  a  substitute  for  a  grate,  a 
small  iron  vase  is  used  into  which  charcoal 
is  put  previously  burnt  to  a  red  heat  to 
dissipate  the  noxious  fumes :  but  the  un- 
pleasant, and  certainly  unwholesome  effect, 
which  this  mode  of  warming  a  room  pro- 
duces, frequently  counterbalances  the  ad- 
vantage derived  from  its  heat.  Wax  being 
exceedingly  dear,  and  tallow  very  indif- 
ferent, lamps  are  usually  substituted  for 
candles.  The  oil  of  the  country  is  indeed 
very  fine,  and  burns  with  a  very  bright 
flame.  The  table-lamps  are  usually  made 
of  brass,  and  are  supported  by  a  stem  from 
one  to  two  feet  and  an  half  high;  but  these 
are  troublesome  to  manage,  though  when 
well  trimmed  they  afford  a  very  agreeable 
li<rht.  The  natural  indolence  of  the  Por- 
tuguese  occasions  them  to  be  careless  and 
slovenly  in  their  domestic  arrangements. 
The  dirt  is  rarely  swept  from  the  floors,  and 
to  the  comforts  of  a  scrubbing-brush  and 
soap  and  water  they  are  total  strangers. 
In  order  to  dissipate  the  effluvia  pretty 
generally  prevailing  in  this  town  they  are 
accustomed  to  burn  dried  lavender  in  all 


PORTUGAL.  23 

their   rooms.       With  respect  however   to 
their   house   linen,   I   must   do  them  the 
justice   to   say,   they  are  more  particular, 
having  a  great  change  which  they  never 
suffer  to  be  long   in   use    without  being 
washed.     Neither  soap,  nor  any  substitute 
for  it,  is  used  in  this   operation.      Their 
mode  of  washing  is  performed  by  women, 
who  are  seen  in  groupes  up  to  their  knees 
in   a  running  stream  of  water,  and  when 
they  have  rubbed, and  squeezed,  and  dashed 
the  linen  sufficiently  against  large  stones, 
it  is  spread  around  upon  the  banks  to  be 
dried  and  bleached  by  the  sun,  which  soon 
gives  it  a  beautiful  whiteness.     Ironing  is 
used  only  among  the  higher  circles  for  fine 
linen. 

Observing  the  quantity  of  business  per- 
petually going  on  in  their  kitchens,  which 
with  the  use  of  the  netting-needle  and  the 
distaff  occupies  the  chief  time  of  the  fe- 
males, you  would  suppose  that  the  Portu- 
guese lived  well  and  kept  good  tables; 
the  fact  however,  with  the  exception  of  the 
higher  orders,    is   the   contrary,    as  they 


24  PORTUGAL. 

usually  take  very  little  food,  and  that  not 
of  the  most  nutritive  quality  ;  and  it  is  so 
over-dressed  as  to  destroy  the  greater  part 
of  what  little  nourishment  it  may  inherently 
possess. 

Chocolate,  rice,  cabbage,  oil,  garlic, 
onions,  pumpkins,  chessnuts  &c.  form  the 
basis  of  their  principal  dishes,  into  which 
animal  food  rarely  enters,  with  the  excep. 
tion  of  buccalab  or  dried  fish.  Messes  of 
these  are  constantly  stewing  over  a  little 
wood  fire,  and  partaken  of  by  every  mem- 
ber of  the  family  seated  round  the  fire  in 
the  most  patriarchal  simplicity.  But  the 
more  wealthy  (though  nevertheless  not  very 
agreeable  to  an  English  palate)  produce 
an  elegant  assortment  of  dishes  upon  their 
tables,  fine  fruit,  and  pleasant  light  wines. 
The  fault  usually  found  with  their  cookery 
by  Englishmen  is  the  employment  of  too 
much  art,  and  the  very  liberal  distribution 
of  garlic,  oil,  and  onions  throughout  all 
their  dishes. 

The  best  produce  of  the  markets  consists 


PORTUGAL.  23 

of  fresh  and  dried  fruits ;  every  other  ar- 
ticle, such  as  meat,  fish  &c.  being  scanty 
and  inferior  in  quality.  Among  the  vege- 
tables the  finest  is  a  peculiar  kind  of  onion 
remarkable  for  its  great  size  and  delicacy 
of  flavour,  and  much  prized  by  the  Eng- 
lish. It  is  difficult  to  preserve  this  sort  of 
onion,  though  it  finds  its  way  to  the  Eng- 
lish markets  and  is  sold  at  a  price  bearing 
no  comparison  to  what  it  fetches  in  this 
country  where  it  is  cheap  and  abundant. 
Chessnuts  are  sold  in  great  quantities  in 
the  streets,  which  are  roasted  by  women 
in  little  earthen  furnaces  constructed  for 
this  purpose,  and  which  they  keep  burning 
by  the  constant  application  of  fans  of 
wicker-work. 

With  respect  to  their  carriages  the  fol- 
lowing are  chiefly  in  use.  Cabriolets  con- 
structed to  hold  two  persons  and  furnished 
with  leathern  fronts  to  be  opened  or  shut  at 
pleasure,  and  drawn  by  two  mules,  stand 
in  the  streets  for  hire.  They  are  very 
rough,  dirty,  and  slow  machines ;  the 
driver,  with  a  miserable  cloak  thrown  over 


26  PORTUGAL. 

his  shoulders,  a  large  cocked  hat  upon  his 
head,  mounted  upon  an  high  wooden  sad- 
dle, and  his  feet  buried  in  large  wooden 
stirrups,  sitting  upon  the  near  horse.  The 
better  description  of  carriages  consists  of 
coaches  and  chariots  curiously  painted, 
and  much  resembling  ours  about  two  cen- 
turies ago;  these  are  drawn  by  two,  four, 
or  six  mules,  according  to  the  circum- 
stances of  the  owner;  the  drivers  being 
arrayed  in  tawdry  and  shabby  liveries,  with 
hats  and  stirrups,  which,  to  those  accus- 
tomed to  the  splendid  decorations  of  a 
modern  English  carriage,  beggars  all  des- 
cription. 

Whenever  I  pass  through  the  streets  I 
am  constantly  reminded  of  not  merely  be- 
ing in  a  catholic  town,  but  in  one  of  pecu- 
liar bigotry  and  ignorance.  People  are 
seen  kneeling  and  motionless  before  the 
numerous  shrines  which  may  be  said  to 
swarm  throughout  the  whole  city.  Figures 
of  the  Virgin  are  preserved  in  glass  cases, 
together  with  those  of  Christ  upon  the 
cross,  and  numberless  collections  of  relics, 


PORTUGAL,  27 

These  are  hung  against  the  walls  of  the 
streets,  and  are  furnished  with  lamps  upon 
particular  occasions,  as  saints'  days,  festi- 
vals &c.  The  devout  always  uncover  as 
they  pass  these  emblems  ;  and  it  is  common 
to  see  men  going  through  the  streets  call- 
ing at  every  shop  and  house  with  figures 
of  the  Virgin  (little  dolls  fantastically 
dressed),  a  kiss  of  which  may  be  obtained 
for  a  vintem,  a  copper  piece  of  about  five 
farthings  value.  In  like  manner,  at  a  par- 
ticular sound  of  the  church  bell,  when  the 
host  is  elevated,  they  uncover,  cross  them- 
selves, and  strike  their  breasts.  When  the 
evening  closes  the  lower  orders  are  accus- 
tomed to  place  themselves  at  the  thresholds 
of  their  doors  to  chant  the  rosary.  Par- 
ties of  the  soldiery,  recruits  &c.  are  to  be 
seen  drawn  up  in  lines  performing  this 
piece  of  devotion,  and  a  curious  kind  of 
buzz  is  thus  heard  as  you  pass  along,  accom- 
panied by  an  air  of  indifference  among 
them  which  would  lead  one  to  doubt  whe- 
ther religion  had  any  share  in  the  cere- 
mony. 


£8  TORTUGAL. 

Yon  can  seldom  walk  out  without  encoun- 
tering the  procession  of  the  host  with  a 
priest  going  to  perform  the  last  offices  of 
religion  to  some  expiring  penitent.  The 
priest  who  administers  the  extreme  unction 
walks  under  a  canopy  dressed  in  his  robes, 
bare-headed,  and  with  the  holy  wafer  &c. 
in  his  hands,  attended  by  a  train  of  per- 
sons who  assist  in  the  ceremony  carrying- 
frankincense  and  the  several  religious  uten- 
sils, preceeded  by  a  man  with  a  large  bell 
to  give  public  notice  of  the  passing  of  the 
host.  All  persons  as  it  goes  along,  whe- 
ther within  their  houses  or  in  the  streets, 
kneel  and  cross  themselves,  and  a  large 
concourse  of  people  usually  brings  up  the 
rear  of  the  procession  chanting  in  unison 
with  the  priest. 

While  I  am  upon  this  subject  I  will  re- 
late two  anecdotes  that  will  serve  to  show 
the  excess    to  which  these  people   carry 

their  devotion.     The  Marquis  of > , 

an  old  Portuguese  nobleman,  passing  full 
dressed  in  his  carriage  and  during  an  hard 
shower  of  rain,  encountered  this   sacred 


PORTUGAL.  *29 

procession.  Notwithstanding  the  incle- 
mency of  the  weather  he  stopped  his  car- 
riage, descended,  and  exposing  his  pow- 
dered head  to  the  storm  dropped  upon  one 
knee  with  the  postillion  in  the  street,  and 
assuming  his  wonted  dignity  mounted 
again,  and  then  drove  on  in  full  state  to 
the  place  of  his  destination. 

The  other  instance  to  which  I  allude  oc- 
curred in  the  case  of  a  poor  woman,  who, 
being  ignorant  of  the  host's  passing  by, 
emptied  unwarily  the  contents  of  an 
earthen  vessel  from  one  of  the  highest  win- 
dows of  the  house  which  fell  upon  the  ca- 
nopy borne  over  the  priest.  Discovering 
this  sacrilegious  ablution  she  uttered  a 
scream,  while  her  terrified  hand  let  fall  the 
vessel,  and  running  down  stairs  sobbing 
and  crying  prostrated  herself  before  the 
priest ;  who,  in  spite  of  the  apparent  hein- 
eousness  of  the  offence,  instantly  absolved 
her  from  the  guilt  of  this  unintentional  ir- 
reverence. 

Such  is  still  the  awe  in  which  the  lower 


30  PORTUGAL. 

orders  stand  of  the  priests,  and  the  idolatrous 
faith  with  which  they  regard  every  thing 
that  relates  to  priesthood  and  religious  cere- 
mony, that,  I  am  credibly  informed,  the 
market-people  and  shop-keepers  in  general 
give  a  visible  preference  in  the  best  choice 
of  their  articles  exposed  for  sale  to  any 
priest  who  favours  them  with  a  visit,  the 
honour  of  which  is  considered  as  sufficient 
payment.  It  is  also  supposed  that  by  the 
presence  of  a  priest,  or  that  of  a  crucifix 
or  image,  the  charms  of  all  evil  spirits  ar» 
destroyed,  no  boat  can  sink  upon  the  water, 
nor  the  witches  effect  their  spells.  We  will 
now  turn  to  the  more  imposing  and  respect- 
able parts  of  the  religion,  which  however 
time  obliges  me  to  defer  till  I  can  write 
to  you  again. 


PORTUGAL.  31 


LETTER  IV. 


The  Churches  —  St.  Rogue  —  Patriarchal  Church — 
High  Mass — St.  Jeronimo — Church  Ceremonies — 
Decay  of  Respect  for  the  Clergy. 


BeHem,  Dec.  1812 

I  have  been  highly  gratified  and  some- 
what astonished  from  several  visits  I  have 
been  paying  to  the  principal  churches. 
The  appearance  of  pomp,  wealth,  and  splen- 
dor which  they  all  exhibit  in  a  greater  or 
less  degree,  is  calculated  to  have  a  striking 
effect  upon  those  accustomed  only  to  the 
more  simple  and  modest  discipline  of  the 
protestant  church. 

The  most  interesting  church  in  Lisbon 
is  that  dedicated  to  St.   Roque.     The  ex- 


32  TORTUGAL. 

terior  of  the  building  is  heavy  and  without 
ornament ;  the  interior  contains  a  collec- 
tion of  church  decorations  the  most  valua- 
ble and  magnificent  in  Portugal.  Two  large, 
massy,  wrought  silver  gilt  candlesticks, 
each  ten  feet  high,  stand  before  the  prin- 
cipal altar.  Junot  robbed  the  church  of 
these  when  he  was  driven  from  Lisbon, 
and  took  them  to  Almeida.  They  were 
afterwards  brought  back,  and  restored  to 
their  former  situation  by  Lord  Wellington's 
order.  Candlesticks  of  silver  gilt  and  less 
in  dimensions,  but  beautifully  worked, 
adorn  the  table  of  the  altar,  over  which 
are  suspended  three  large  scriptural  sub- 
jects in  mosaic  work.  They  appear  upon 
a  cursory  view  to  be  paintings  of  the  first 
order  in  oil,  but  a  closer  inspection  shows 
them  to  be  composed  entirely  of  small 
and  beautifully  coloured  pieces  of  marble 
exquisitely  arranged.  Their  value  is  in- 
estimable, as  you  may  imagine  when  you 
consider  the  enormous  price  which  is  paid 
for  a  small  medallion  only  of  mosaic  work. 
Much  magnificence  is  displayed  throughout 
the  whole  assemblage  of  furniture  in  this 


PORTUGAL.  33 

altar.  The  curtains  and  hangings  are  of 
rich  crimson  velvet,  ornamented  with  the 
finest  broad  gold  embroidery,  and  lined 
with  pale  blue  satin  ;  richly  gilded  carving 
and  fretwork  forming  the  general  relief. 
The  communion-table  consists  of  one  uni- 
form slab  of  lapis  lazuli  with  a  deep  bor- 
der of  gold,  while  its  supporters  and  the 
different  upright  slabs  and  pillars  around 
are  formed  of  the  most  precious  stones 
and  marbles,  such  as  verde  antique,  cor- 
nelion,  porphyry,  agate,  alabaster  &c.  The 
floor  and  steps  are  composed  of  mosaic 
work. 

When  I  had  sufficiently  gazed  upon  all 
this  magnificence  my  conductor  took  me 
to  an  obscure  corner  of  the  church,  and 
opening  a  dirty  wooden  case  shewed  me 
a  representation  of  the  sacrifice  of  the 
lamb  intended  for  an  altar-piece ;  but  its 
value  being  very  great  it  had  prudently 
been  concealed  during  the  residence  of  the 
French  in  Lisbon,  and  had  never  since  been 
brought  out.  Its  dimensions  are  nine  feet 
by  three.     It  is  worked  in  solid  silver,  and 


34  PORTUGAL. 

gilt  upon  a  ground  of  lapis  lazuli.  The 
figure  of  an  anjrel  about  a  foot  and  an  half 
high,  of  silver  gilt,  supports  the  medallion 
in  which  the  subject  is  worked  on  each 
side. 

There  are  several  other  churches  dedi- 
cated to  various  saints,  differing  in  the 
degree  of  grandeur  exhibited  in  their  orna- 
ments, though  not  materially  in  their 
general  structure.  They  all  produce,  by 
the  aid  of  crimson  hangings  and  gaudiness, 
an  imposing  effect ;  which,  together  with 
the  golden  ornaments,  paintings,  images, 
carving  and  fret-work,  artificial  flowers, 
enormous  candlesticks  &c.  form  a  very 
striking  and  grand  appearance.  Besides 
the  great  altars  they  have  minor  ones  for 
particular  days  and  occasions.  Confessional 
boxes  are  also  placed  in  different  parts  of 
the  church,  where  a  priest  listens  through 
a  small  grating  to  the  penitential  secrets 
of  females  confessing  upon  their  knees.  The 
patriarchal  church  at  Bellem  is  very  mag- 
nificent, and  the  service  is  performed  with  all 
the  strictness  of  religious  ceremony.     The 


PORTUGAL.  35 

Prince  Regent  formerly  attended  this 
church,  which  being  considered  generally 
as  the  chapel  royal  is  mostly  frequented 
by  people  of  the  first  fashion.  Upon 
Christmas-eve  it  was  lighted-up  for  the  per- 
formance of  grand  mass,  which  lasted  from 
about  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  till  two 
in  the  morning. — The  splendor  of  the 
church  was  greatly  increased  by  the  lights, 
and  produced  a  very  brilliant  effect.  But 
the  impression  made  upon  my  feelings  was 
too  theatrical,  and  I  was  more  often  re- 
minded of  a  spectacle  in  Covent  Garden 
than  of  a  religious  ceremony. 

Imagine  a  spacious  and  lofty  church 
adorned  with  gold  carving  and  fret-work, 
paintings  finely  coloured,  admirably  exe- 
cuted and  furnished  with  rich  frames,  mag- 
nificent long  curtains  of  crimson  velvet 
with  deep  gold  embroidered  borders  ;  walls 
lined  with  hangings  of  the  same  description; 
rich  carpets  thrown  over  the  steps  of  the 
altar,  the  floor  covered  with  baize : — the 
splendor  of  the  whole  heightened  by  bril- 
liant lustres,  while  the  grand  altar  itself 

D  2 


36  PORTUGAL. 

formed  one  blaze  of  light,  and  a  pyramid 
of  the  brightest  colours  from  the  mixture 
of    artificial    flowers,   brilliants,    ribbons, 
silks,    satins,    and  gold   work,    altogether 
exhibiting   a   scene  of  gorgeous   magnifi- 
cence   to    which   no   description   can    do 
justice  ;  and  you  will  probably  have  some 
idea  of  the  sensations  I  experienced  at  such 
an  exhibition.     The  bottom  of  the  chancel 
is   separated  from  the  body  of  the  church 
by  very  elegant  gates  of  curiously  wrought 
iron-work  with    gold   ornaments.      These 
were  thrown  open  to  give  the  concourse 
of  people  who  thronged  the  church  a  view 
of  the  ceremony ;  but    beyond  this  limit 
they  were  not  allowed  to  pass,  with  the 
exception    of    British   officers,  and   some 
other    strangers   who   were   permitted   to 
stand  right  and  left   of  the   altar.      The 
former  were  principally  upon  their  knees 
during  the  ceremony,  and  preserved  a  pro- 
found silence.     A  number  of  persons  of 
fashion  of  both  sexes  attended,  dressed  in 
their  most  superb  attire.     On  the  right  of 
the  altar,  towards  the  bottom  of  the  chancel, 
the  canons  of  the  church  were  ranged  in 


PORTUGAL.  37 

the  full   parapharnalia  of  cardinals,  with 
each  his  train-bearer  at  his  feet.     Opposite 
to  these  sat  the  bishops.     At  the  front  of 
the  altar  a  chair  of  white  satin,  embroidered 
with  gold,  was  placed   for   the  patriarch, 
who  officiates  at  this  church  as  the  Pope's 
representative    dressed   in    every   respect 
like  his  holiness  on  similar  occasions.     He 
was  a  mild  and  venerable  looking  old  man, 
with    a    feeble   voice,    though   impressive 
manner.     He  was  supported  and    assisted 
in  the   ceremony  by  a  numerous  train  of 
clergy,  and  a  number  of  the  lower  orders 
of  ecclesiastical  attendants,  whose  formal 
entre   and   exit   at   different  parts  of  the 
service  reminded  me   rather  too    forcibly 
of  a  premeditated  exhibition.     The  music, 
which  seldom  ceased  during  the  rites,  was 
solemn  and   affecting.      The   orchestra  is 
furnished  with  a  verysuperior  organ,  which, 
together  with  a   band  of  Italian  singers, 
produced  the  finest  chorussesl  ever  heard. 
The  band  contained  at  this  time  several 
first-rate  vocal  performers  who   executed 
beautiful    duets,    solos  &c.    one    of  them 
being  reckoned  the  finest  singer  in  Europe, 


38  PORTUGAL. 

and  esteemed  equal  to  Madam  Catalani. 
I  have  before  remarked  that  the  whole  of 
these  ceremonies  in  the  eyes  of  those  of  a 
different  persuasion  wears  too  much  the 
appearance  of  affectation  and  mummery ; 
but,  if  it  be  ever  possible  to  abstract  the 
mind  from  feelings  of  this  nature,  it  is 
during  the  consecration  of  the  wafer,  and 
the  elevation  of  the  host.  Then,  as  Gibbon 
says,  "  I  felt  myself  a  catholic."  On  a  sudden 
the  music  ceases — the  profoundest  silence 
reigns  throughout  the  church,  and  every 
individual  is  upon  his  knees — the  patriarch 
prays  in  silence — a  deep  and  hollow-toned 
bell  on  the  top  of  the  church  (by  a  signal 
from  below)  sounds  twice  or  thrice  at 
short  intervals — the  people  cross  them- 
selves, strike  their  breasts,  and  bow  their 
heads  to  the  ground — a  pause  ensues — 
the  patriarch,  with  his  eyes  lifted  to  heaven, 
rises,  and  elevates  the  consecrated  wafer 
— a  beautiful  swell  of  the  full  organ,  ac- 
companied by  a  chorus,  instantly  bursts 
forth,  producing  the  grandest  and  most 
awful  effect. — This  formed  the  conclusion 
of  the  ceremony,  and    I  left  the  church, 


PORTUGAL.  39 

with  feelings  which  no  language  is  adequate 
to  describe.  The  following  day  one  of  the 
singers  conducted  me  round  the  church, 
and  through  the  various  rooms  adjoining, 
when  I  was  surprised  to  find  that  all  the 
larsre  and  glittering  stones  of  the  mitre  and 
other  parts  of  the  costume  were  false; 
the  French  having  taken  away  the  real 
jewels,  of  which,  however,  these  were  said 
to  be  exact  imitations.  Great  quantities 
of  lace,  the  finest  linen,  silks,  and  gold 
embroidery  were  likewise  at  the  same 
time  pillaged  to  an  immense  amount : 
some  part  of  these  valuables,  however, 
escaped  the  cupidity  of  the  spoilers,  many 
of  which  still  remain.  The  finest  church 
collection  of  paintings  in  the  city  is  said 
to  belong  to  this  establishment.  Several 
of  the  best  are  kept  in  private  ;  though 
Junot,  according  to  his  usual  practice, 
carried  off  many  specimens  of  the  art. 

In  one  of  the  anti-rooms  they  exhibit  a 
curious  model  representing  the  creation,  in 
which  almost  every  possible  thing  and  being 
is  imitated.  The  convent  and  church  dedi- 


40  PORTUGAL. 

cated  to  Saint  Jeronimo  are  very  fine 
specimens  of  ancient  architecture.  The 
former  is  now  appropriated  to  sick  and 
wounded  soldiers,  a  few  apartments  being 
still  inhabited  by  some  friars:  a  great  variety 
of  single  figures  and  scriptural  histories 
beautifully  carved  ornament  the  porticos. 

At  this  season  of  the  year  a  stage  built 
before  one  of  the  altars  displays  the  Nativity 
in  figures  larger  than  life, and  literally  agree- 
ing with  the  whole  description  of  the  situa- 
tion in  which  Our  Saviour  was  found  at 
his  birth.  During  this  representation  a 
plate  is  placed  upon  the  stage  to  receive 
donations  for  the  convent. — On  the  night 
of  Christmas-eve  the  ceremony  of  the 
different  circumstances  of  the  Nativity  is 
performed. 

I  have  occasionally  been  present  at  some 
requiems,  and  other  musical  festivals. 
These  are  calculated  to  fill  the  mind  with 
feelings  very  different  from  those  inspired 
by  the  mere  mummery  of  mass,  and  super- 
stitious processions ;  the  effect  produced  by 


PORTUGAL.  41 

their  harmony  I  shall  never  forget ;  it  was 
really  sublime;  and  however  much  I  may 
prefer  in  a  devotional  point  of  view  the  mild 
simplicity  of  the  religious  discipline  of  the 
church  of  England,  yet  it  appears  to  me 
no  way  surprising  that  an  immense  mass  of 
the  people  should  continue  pertinaciously 
attached  to  the  imposing  ceremonials  of  the 
catholic  religion.  Ignorant  and  unenlight- 
ened as  they  are,  how  can  they  be  otherwise 
affected  ?  when  power,  pomp,  and  mystery 
surround  the  officers,  and  accompany  the 
practice  of  religion,  while  the  eye  is  dazzled 
with  magnificence,  and  the  ear  delighted 
with  the  finest  music.  The  ancient  power 
and  respectability  of  the  Romish  church 
has  been,  however,  rapidly  declining  in 
Portugal ;  the  removal  of  the  Inquisition  by 
the  French  having  opened  the  eyes  of  the 
inhabitants,  and  taught  them  to  think  with 
more  freedom  and  liberality  than  before. 
A  long  continued  connexion  with  England 
will  no  doubt  render  Catholicism  still  milder 
and  more  inoffensive,  and  probably  lessen 
the  ignorance  and  bigotry  yet  existing. 


42  PORTUGAL. 

The  clergy,  upon  their  part,  having 
got  rid  of  the  tyranny  exercised  by 
the  French,  it  may  be  readily  supposed 
want  no  inclination  to  restore  their  power 
and  consequence  in  the  eyes  of  the  people, 
and  the  influence  they  held  over  their 
minds.  But  this  there  is  little  chance 
under  existing  circumstances  of  their 
bringing  about  to  any  considerable  extent, 
though  possibly  among  the  least  enlight- 
ened they  may  effect  their  purposes  par- 
tially. Such  was  the  terror,  during  the 
residence  of  the  French  in  Portugal,  which 
all  religious  orders  felt  in  being  recog- 
nised, that  they  suffered  their  tonsures  to 
be  obliterated,  in  order  to  avoid  this  cha- 
racteristic mark  of  their  profession  ;  and 
such  were  the  persecutions  they  sustained, 
that  whatever  may  be  our  opinions  re- 
specting the  policy  of  priestcraft,  so  much 
cherished  by  the  Catholic  religion,  yet  the 
tales  of  woe  related  concerning  these  un- 
fortunate men  must  excite  pity  and  com- 
miseration even  among  those  who  hold 
their  principles  in  the  utmost  abhorrence. 
Thev  have  now,  however,  resumed  their 


PORTUGAL.  43 

tonsures  and  their  accustomed  clerical  ha- 
bits, and  with  these  some  degree  of  re- 
spect is  regained  among  the  people, 
though  not  in  the  degree  commensurate 
with  their  ambitious  views. 

In  the  present  davit  is  no  unusual  thing 
to  meet  with  many  Portuguese  who  will 
descant  upon  these  subjects  with  a  degree 
of  freedom,  which  a  few  years  past  would 
have  inevitably  have  exposed  them  to  the 
severest  chastisement  of  the  Inquisition. 
An  intelligent  and  respectable  officer  of 
artillery  in  the  company  of  a  party  of 
British  and  Portuguese  officers,  who  (like 
Mr.  Shandy,)  "hated  a  monk,  and  the  very 
smell  of  a  monk,  worse  than  all  the  devils 
in  hell,"  declared  it  to  be  his  firm  belief 
that  all  the  misfortunes  of  his  country 
were  to  be  attributed  to  the  prevailing  sys- 
tem among  the  nobles  and  gentry  of  the 
land  of  breeding  up  their  sons  to  the 
church,  and  under  the  direction  of  the 
priests,  instead  of  introducing  them  to 
the  secular  duties  of  the  sfeate ;  by 
which  means    a   large    proportion  of  the 


44  PORTUGAL. 

most  important  part  of  the  community  had 
their  minds  contracted,  and  were  sub- 
jected to  the  influence  of  bigotry  and  su- 
perstition. He  added  (in  a  satyrical  tone) 
so  offensive  to  his  feelings  was  the  sight  of 
a  monk  that  he  never  encountered  one 
without  considering  it  as  an  ill  omen,  and 
that  some  misfortune  would  happen  to  him 
during  the  day  on  which  so  unlucky  a 
meeting  had  occurred. 


PORTUGAL.  45 


LETTER  V. 


Portuguese  Sunday — Tlie  Theatres — Lord  Welling- 
ton's Arrival — Sir  Charles  Stewart's  Assemblies — 
Evening  Amusements — Sccieiy  of  Lisbon. 


Bellem,  Jan.  1313. 

1  he  instances  which  I  gave  }rou  in  the 
former  part  of  my  last  letter  of  devotion 
and  respect  for  religion  would  naturally 
lead  to  a  supposition  that  Sunday  must  be 
observed  with  a  more  profound  reverence 
and  abstinence  from  worldly  pleasures  and 
pursuits,  than  is  customary  in  protestant 
countries.  The  tact,  however,  is  quite  the 
reverse.  Pleasure  and  religion  go  hand  in 
band,  and  the  followers  of  both  worship 
either  with  equal  ardor.  In  the  morning  the 
churches  are  scarcely  more   crowded  than 


46  PORTUGAL. 

the  theatres  in  the  evening.  When  the 
bells  have  ceased  ringing  for  mass  the 
guitars  give  the  signal  for  fandangos, 
boleros,  and  waltzing.  Labour,  indeed, 
of  every  description  is  at  a  stand,  but  it  is 
merely  to  give  a  fuller  scope  to  all  sorts  of 
recreation.  Sunday  is  the  gayest  day  of 
the  week ;  the  prados  are  more  crowded, 
and  pleasure  of  all  descriptions  becomes 
the  order  of  the  day. 

The  theatres  in  Lisbon  are  in  general 
very  indifferent,  and  scarcely  worthy  of 
notice  ;  I  shall  therefore  confine  myself  to 
the  principal  one  called  "  Teatro  de  San 
Carlos,"  which  is  open  every  night  in  the 
week.  Operas,  comedies,  farces,  ballets, 
and  dancing,  arc  all  performed  here  alter- 
nately. It  is  a  large,  gloomy,  and  very 
badly  lighted  house,  somewhat  in  the  form 
of  our  Opera-house,  but  not  so  large,  and 
without  any  pretensions  to  vie  with  it  in 
elegance  or  beauty.  The  boxes  are  ranged 
like  ours,  with  the  exception  of  the  royal 
box,  which  is  spacious,  lofty,  and  placed  in 
the  centre  of  the  circle.     There  is  no  gal- 


PORTUGAL.  47 

lery,  but  a  very  large  and  commodious 
pit  and  an  extensive  orchestra.  The 
stage  is  very  spacious,  and  tolerably  lighted, 
but  the  scenery  is  ill  painted,  and  very  in- 
differently managed.  At  one  period  per- 
haps this  opera  was  unrivalled  in  Europe  ; 
during  the  time  that  the  court  resided  in 
Lisbon,  and  Junot  was  ambassador  from 
the  French  court,  when  Catalan!  and  se- 
veral of  the  first  singers  were  engaged, 
and  the  elder  and  the  younger  Vestris,  and 
Angiolini  were  the  principal  supporters  of 
the  ballets.  The  Portuguese  ladies  usual- 
ly adopting  black  for  their  full  dress,  and 
the  gentlemen  not  being  very  gay  in  their 
costume,  gives  a  sombre  appearance  to  the 
boxes,  when  contrasted  with  the  gay  and 
lively  exhibition  which  a  well-filled  row  of 
boxes  presents  in  an  English  theatre. 
Sentries  are  placed  at  different  points  in 
the  pit  and  lobbies,  who  controul  every 
expression  of  approbation  or  discontent  in 
the  audience  that  affords  the  slightest  in- 
terruption  to  what  is  going  forward.  The 
lobbies  are  furnished  with  a  refectory, 
where    lemonade,  punch,   liqueurs,   coffee 


48  PORTUGAL. 

and  cakes  are  plentifully  supplied.     They 
have  also,  as  the  Portuguese  are  very  fond 
of  gambling,  a  lottery  always  open,  where 
you  pay  a  trifle  for  a  handful  of  twisted  lit- 
tle pieces  of  paper,  which,  after  much  time 
spent    in    unravelling,   produce    either   a 
blank,   or  some  trumpery  prize  not  worth 
carrying  away  ;  but  such  is  the  passion  for 
this  mode  of  amusing  themselves  among 
the  Portuguese,  that  hundreds  will  spend 
their  time  in  the  lottery-room  in  this  man- 
ner.   Above  stairs  are  gambling-tables  of  an 
higher  description.     These  kind  of  places 
are  well  known  in   the   army  by  the  very 
appropriate  term  of  hell,  and  I  am  sorry  to 
say  that  I  have   witnessed   here   many  a 
painful  scene.      You  would  scarcely  be  in- 
duced perhaps  to  believe  that  the  desire  of 
winning  money  is  by  no  means  in  every 
instance  the  chief  stimulus  to  play.     The 
following    anecdote    will    show   that    the 
practice  of  the  vice  of  gambling  is  some- 
times more  a  matter  of  habit  than   an  in- 
nate love   of  gain.     A   fidalgo   in  Lisbon 
(well  known  for  his  dwarfish  appearance,) 
though  he  had  no  money  to  risk  himself* 


PORTUGAL.  49 

was  yet  always  so  eager  to  play,  that  he 
was  in  the  habit  of  begging  of  one  of  the 
company  to  lend   him    a   doubloon,  with 
which  he  sat  down.     If  he  was  successful 
he  gave  the  person  from  whom  he  bor- 
rowed the  money  all  his  winnings,  accom- 
panied with  the  warmest  thanks  ;  and  as 
our  little  nobleman  was  one  of  the  most 
expert  amateurs  in  gambling,  it  was  deemed 
no  bad  speculation  to  lend  him  money  in 
this  manner,  by  those  who  were  less  confi- 
dent of  their  own  proficiency,  and  had  no 
objections  to  add  to  the   little  they  might 
have  to  venture.     Besides  San  Carlos  there 
is    a   tolerable    little    theatre    at    Bellem, 
called    the  "  Boa   Hora,"   where   operas, 
comedies,  farces    &c.  are  performed.      I 
have  usually  recognized  in  the   comedies 
and  farces  of  the  Portuguese  either  com- 
plete translations  or  partial  imitations  from 
our  comic   muse.      It  must  be   confessed 
that  there  is  no  great  occasion  for  jealousy 
on    our  parts  ;  for   when  witticisms,    only 
supportable  from  accidental  and  local  cir- 
cumstances of  the  passing  day,  are  literal- 
ly copied  upon  the  Portuguese  stage,  you 

E 


50  PORTUGAL. 

may  readily  conceive  the  brilliancy  of  their 
effect. 

Next  to  the  theatres  the  different  hotels 
are  the  chief  places  of  public  resort,  pro- 
vided those  who  prefer  them  have  no  re- 
gard  to  ceconomy  or  comfort,  neither   of 
which  in  these  places  is  to  be  expected. 
The  most  execrable  of  all  are  one  or  two 
kept  by  Englishmen,  who  go  beyond  even 
the  Portuguese  in  extortion.     One   of  the 
most  celebrated  hotels  is  that  of  Monsieur 
La  Tour,  which  commands  a  fine  prospect 
of  the  river  and  the  sea.     13ut  its  various 
internal  disadvantages  so  completely  coun- 
terbalance its  exterior  beauties,  that  I  have 
been  rarely  tempted  by  the  persuasive  and 
irresistible  witticism,  which  the  host  has  in- 
dulged himself  in  by  placing  (in  the  room 
of  his  name,  as  a  pun  upon  it,)  a  large  gilt 
Tower  over  the  door.     The   many  acci- 
dents however  to  which  you  are  exposed 
in  ascending  the  stairs  would  probably  de- 
ter the  most  curious  inquirer  from  any  fur- 
ther research. 


PORTUGAL.  51 

During  three  days  the  town  has  lately 
been  rendered  very  gay  by  the  presence  of 
Lord  Wellington.  His  arrival  had  been 
anxiously  looked  for  some  time  pre- 
viously, as  he  had  not  been  in  Lisbon 
since  the  period  of  its  complete  liberation 
from  the  French  yoke.  The  preparations 
for  his  reception  were  extensive  and  grand. 
He  arrived  from  Cadiz  at  a  small  place  in 
the  Alentejo,  about  nine  miles  across  the 
Tagus,  and  landed  in  Lisbon  on  the  fol- 
lowing day.  The  weather  was  very  fine, 
adding  considerably  to  the  general  fes- 
tivity of  the  day.  A  large  boat  belonging 
to  the  Regent,  splendidly  decorated,  was 
rowed  across,  to  bring  him  and  his  stall 
to  the  steps  of  the  great  commercial 
square.  Every  ship  in  the  harbour  was 
dressed,  and  the  broad  part  of  the  river- 
was  covered  with  boats  of  all  descrip- 
tions, gaily  trimmed  and  adorned.  The 
windows,  balconies,  and  tops  of  the  houses 
were  rilled  with  well-dressed  people,  and 
the  streets  below  were  crowded  to  excess. 
The  Life-Guards  kept  the  ground  from  the 
landing  steps,  which  they  fruitlessly  en* 
B  2 


52  PORTUGAL. 

deavoured  to  guard  from  the  interruptions 
of  the  populace,  while  the  British  and 
Portuguese  infantry,  with  their  bands  and 
colours,  formed  a  lane  to  the  palace  of  the 
Necessidades,  where  Lord  Wellington  was 
to  take  up  his  residence.  He  was  re- 
ceived at  the  landing-place  by  a  very  bril- 
liant assemblage  in  full  dress,  consisting  of 
the  British  Ambassador,  (Sir  Charles  Stew- 
art), the  Members  of  the  Regency,  Marshal 
Beresford,  and  a  concourse  of  British  and 
Portuguese  officers  of  all  ranks  and  dis- 
tinctions ;  some  of  the  Prince's  led  horses 
and  state  carriages  were  in  attendance,  the 
former  richly  caparisoned,  and  the  servants 
in  their  state  liveries.  About  half-past  two 
a  salute  from  the  flag-ship  announced  his 
Lordship's  approach,  which  was  the  signal 
for  the  commencement  of  a  scene  of  gro- 
tesque and  tumultuous  joy  rarely  parallel- 
ed :  cheering  and  firing  from  the  shipping, 
shouts  of  "  viva"  from  the  Portuguese,  va- 
rieties of  bands  playing  as  many  different 
tunes  as  there  were  instruments,  squibs, 
crackers,  and  all  kinds  of  fire-works,  with 
horses,  mules   and   donkies  prancing  and 


PORTUGAL.  53 

braying  in  all  directions,  ushered  the  hero 
upon  shore.  Immediately  as  the  Marquis 
stepped  out  of  the  boat  the  populace,  mad- 
dening with  joy,  burst  through  all  obstruc- 
tions, and  rushed  upon  him  with  one  ac- 
cord in  an  overwhelming  torrent.  Among 
them  an  old  priest  actually  clung  to  him, 
and  could  with  great  difficulty  be  pulled 
away,  calling  him  the  preserver  and  sa- 
viour of  the  country,  the  deliverer  of  the 
church  &c.  As  soon  as  he  could  disen- 
tangle himself  from  these  friendly  hugs 
and  caresses  he  mounted  his  horse, 
dressed  in  a  plain  gray  frock  coat,  with  his 
generals  and  all  the  other  great  people 
glittering  with  stars  and  orders.  Having 
passed  round  the  line  of  the  household 
troops,  he  proceeded  to  the  palace  of  the 
Necessidades,  attended  by  an  escort  of  one 
of  the  regiments  of  Life-Guards. 

In  this  scene  of  national  exultation  it 
may  be  supposed  that  the  ladies  took  no 
inconsiderable  share,  expressing  their  joy 
by  waving  their  white  handkerchiefs  in  the 
air,  and  casting  flowers  upon  the  head  of 


54  PORTUGAL. 

their  adored  champion,  as  he  passed  under 
their  windows. 

I  had  never  seen  this  great  man  before, 
but  in  a  very  casual  way,  and  was  much 
struck  with  his  appearance.  There  is  an 
animation  and  intelligence  in  his  counte- 
nance, which,  joined  to  the  native  dignity 
and  simplicity  of  his  deportment,  was  re- 
markably interesting  and  impressive. 

During  the  three  days  he  remained  in 
Lisbon  every  mark  of  esteem  and  honor 
was  shewn  to  him.  The  city  and  the 
armed  vessels  in  the  harbour  were  illu- 
minated every  night,  as  were  even  the 
convents  and  churches;  a  mode  of  rejoic- 
ing from  which,  as  they  formed  the  most 
splendid  part  of  the  exhibition,  a  beauti- 
ful effect  was  produced.  Generally  speak- 
ing, however,  the  illuminations  in  this 
country  are  very  inferior  to  those  which 
are  common  in  England. 


■&* 


The  evening  after  the  Marquis's  arrival 
(Sunday.)    the    opera-house    presented    a 


PORTUGAL.  55 

scene  of  novelty  and  magnificence  to 
which  the  audience  had  been  unaccus- 
tomed, the  house  being  then  more  splen- 
didly lighted  up  and  adorned  than  usual, 
and  the  performances  of  a  superior 
kind.  Lord  Wellington,  with  some  of  his 
friends  and  the  Members  of  the  Regency, 
satin  the  Regent's  box,  and  most  of  the 
general  officers  and  staff  were  superbly 
dressed  in  boxes  upon  his  right  and  left. 

Upon  this  occasion  no  ordinary  exer- 
tions were  made  on  the  part  of  the  citi- 
zens in  general  to  prove  the  devoted  and 
enthusiastic  admiration  in  which  they  held 
(as  they  termed  him)  "  Nosso  Grande 
Lorde."  All  the  talents  of  Lisbon  united 
to  get  up  a  piece  suitable  to  the  event. 
The  opera  represented,  or  at  least  was  in- 
tended to  represent,  the  Elysian  Fields,  in 
which  all  the  Portuguese  heroes  of  anti- 
quity (exclusively)  were  seen  to  enjoy 
themselves.  Fame  descended  amongst 
them,  and  proclaimed  the  glorious  deeds 
of  VcUngton,  which  the  goddess  (without 
any  regard  to  the  feelings  of  the  heroes 


PORTUGAL. 


around  her)  declared  to  eclipse  all  others 
that  were  ever  recorded,  coupling  with 
this  declaration  every  epithet  of  love  and 
adoration  which  a  Portuguese  imagination 
could  conjure  up.  The  departed  spirits 
(jealous  of  this  assumption  of  superiority) 
entered  into  a  warm  dispute  with  Fame 
upon  the  subject ;  she,  however,  remained 
perfectly  obdurate,  while  they,  on  their 
parts,  did  not  appear  the  least  inclined  to 
resign  the  palm.  Fame  then  boldly  told 
them  that  none  of  them  had  done  any 
thing  which  could  bear  a  comparison  with 
the  deeds  of  the  "  Grande  Lorde."  Upon 
this  the  Marquis  de  Pombal  (their  fa- 
vourite hero  and  one  of  the  principal 
figures  in  the  group,)  came  forward  with 
looks  of  astonishment  at  Fame's  presump- 
tion, and  exclaimed — "  What!  did  I  do  no- 
thing ?"  to  which  the  deity,  with  evident 
anger  at  her  authority  being  doubted,  re- 
plied— "  No,  not  even  yoa!"  and  thus  put 
an  end  to  the  dispute,  upon  which  the  au- 
dience testified  their  unanimous  approba- 
tion, without  the  least  regard  to  the  honor 
of  their  own  countrymen.     It  was  intend- 


PORTUGAL.  57 

ed  to  commence  the  spectacle  by  causing 
a  crown  of  laurel  to  descend  upon  Lord 
Wellington's  head  as  he  entered  the  box  ; 
but,  lest  by  accident  their  good  wishes 
should  be  perverted,  and  something  ludi- 
crous produced  by  its  falling  on  the  wrong 
head,  his  Lordship  declined  this  honor. 

On  the  Monday  night  following,  Sir 
Charles  Stewart  gave  a  very  splendid  ball 
and  supper  to  all  the  principal  people  in 
Lisbon,  including  a  great  portion  of  the 
officers  in  the  town,  but  no  one  was  ad- 
mitted without  a  ticket,  (which  on  ordina- 
ry nights  is  not  required,)  in  order  to  li- 
mit the  company  at  the  supper-tables. 
The  entertainment  was  very  sumptuous, 
and  the  whole  well  arranged.  The  am- 
bassador's residence  is  very  spacious  and 
handsome,  and  was  built  by  a  rich  mer- 
chant for  his  own  accommodation.  At  the 
assemblies  held  here  you  meet  with  all  the 
fashionable  society,  which,  after  the  emi- 
gration of  the  court,  was  left  in  Lisbon. 

Their  manners,   customs,   and  style  of 


58  PORTUGAL. 

dress  are  very  different  to  those  of  the  po- 
lished classes  of  our  own  country.  The 
ladies  both  in  person  and  manners  are  cer- 
tainly inferior  to  our  own,  though  there  is 
nothing  peculiarly  offensive  in  their  con- 
duct and  appearance :  a  roundish  plump 
face,  rather  sallow  complexion,  with  more 
or  less  colour,  and  lively  hazle  eyes,  with 
long  black  eye-lashes,  and  dark  hair,  ap- 
pear to  form  the  general  character  of  their 
countenances,  some  of  which  are  very  in- 
teresting and  pretty.  They  generally 
wear  black,  when  dressed,  intermixed 
with  a  little  white;  their  waists  short;  and 
when  they  walk  out,  a  long  laced  mantle  is 
thrown  over  the  head,  which  they  hold 
with  one  hand  under  the  chin,  while  the 
other  is  constantly  employed  in  carrying  a 
fan.  Excepting  at  evening  assemblies,  in 
the  theatres,  and  on  their  way  to  mass,  the 
ladies  are  seldom  or  ever  seen  in  public. 
Upon  the  latter  occasion  their  duennas 
usually  follow  them,  and  their  deportment  is 
then  grave,  somewhat  solemn  and  dignified. 
Upon  other  occasions  they  exhibit  a  de- 
gree of  gaiety  and  vivacity  which  in  the 


PORTUGAL.  59 

eyes  of  a  stranger  rather  borders  upon 
levity ;  and,  you  may  rely  upon  it,  that 
the  character  and  disposition  of  the  Por- 
tuguese ladies  is  in  reality,  by  no  means 
reserved  and  sedate.  They  are  in  private 
society  inclined  to  be  open  and  unreserved, 
often  coquetish,  and  not  inaccessible  to 
flattery.  They  are  not  however  to  be 
taken  by  storm,  but  require  a  long  siege, 
which,  if  the  lover  has  patience  to  go 
through  all  the  manoeuvres  of  it,  is  I  be- 
lieve rarely  unattended  with  ultimate  suc- 
cess. This  I  conceive  does  not  arise  from 
any  previous  intention  and  disposition  to 
refuse  advances  altogether,  but  rather,  I 
believe,  from  a  not  uncommon  inclination 
to  increase  by  delay  the  pleasure  derived 
from  tormenting  the  besieger,  and  the  gra- 
tification attendant  upon  a  prolonged  ad- 
dress. Whether  this  casual  description  of 
the  Portuguese  ladies  differs  much  from 
that  of  the  ladies  of  other  countries  of 
Europe  I  leave  you  to  judge;  but  you 
must  not  forget  that  the  national  feeling  is 
now  strong  and  powerful  in  our  favour, 
and  that  the  general  enthusiasm  may  well 


60  PORTUGAL. 

be  supposed  to  have  increased  the  natural 
warmth  and  kindness  of  the  softer  sex. 

Dancing  forms  one  of  the  principal 
amusements  in  all  their  parties.  Their 
balls  usually  commence  with  country- 
dances,  succeeded  by  waltzing,  which  is 
commonly  kept  up  till  the  party  separates. 
The  Portuguese  waltz  faster  than  the 
Germans,  and  more  in  the  French  style. 

I  have  been  to  some  private  parties,  the 
society  of  which  gives  you  a  more  favour- 
able idea  of  the  Portuguese  than  you 
would  at  first  be  impressed  with.  Many 
of  the  gentlemen  imitate  the  English  cos- 
tume, throwing  off  the  enormous  cocked 
hat,  and  dingy  brown  or  black  cloak  in 
which   the  generality  envelope  themselves. 

I  cannot  say  that  I  have  met  frequently 
with  much  learning  and  information  among 
them,  though  a  few  individuals  possess 
considerable  intelligence :  but  much  can- 
not be  expected  where  education  is  so  lit- 
tle attended  to. 


TORTUGAL.  61 

There  is  somewhat  of  elegance  and  taste 
occasionally  displayed  in  the  better  kind 
of  houses,  but  no  attention  is  paid  to  com- 
fort, and  still  less  to  cleanliness  in  their 
general  domestic  arrangements. 

The  men  are  universally  addicted  to 
smoking  segars,  while  the  women  appear 
to  have  an  equal  predeliction  for  garlic,  and 
the  disgusting  habit  of  spitting,  often  with- 
out regard  to  time  or  place. 

In  my  occasional  intercourse  with  Por- 
tuguese society  I  have  usually  found  some- 
thing peculiar  to  arrest  my  attention ;  a 
ludicrous  instance  or  two  of  which  I  will 
give  you  as  specimens ;  one,  the  most 
distinguished  compliment  that  a  Portu- 
guese can  pay  to  a  lady,  by  way  of  a  salu- 
tation :  as — "  Adeosina,  cada  vez  mais 
linda,  mais  alta,  mais  nova,  mais  blanca, 
et  mais  gourda:" — "  Good  morning,  Ma- 
dam, you  appear  every  time  handsomer, 
taller,  younger,  fairer,  and  fatter:"  and  the 
other  that,  as  it  is  considered  no  small  indi- 
cation of  wealth  and  importance,  and  conse- 


62  PORTUGAL: 

quently  a  great  compliment  to  notice  it,  if 
any  one  possesses  a  rotundity  of  person, 
such  being  considered  a  marked  trait  of  a 
'Fidalgo;'  he  is  described  as  a  perfect  noble- 
man in  his  appearance,  and  to  feed  on  'buc- 
calaoY  (salt  fish,)  beans,  white  bread,  and 
plenty  of  oil  with  his  herbs,  luxuries  not  so 
much  enjoyed  by  the  vulgar.  With  these 
observations  I  shall  conclude  my  remarks 
upon  the  capital,  and  here  finish  my  letter. 


PORTUGAL.  63 


LETTER  VI. 


Qutluz  Palace — Cintra — Aqueduct — JMafra. 


Lisbon,  February,  l81o. 

JSince  I  dispatched  my  last  letter  I  have 
made  some  excursions  to  neighbouring 
places,  and  I  have  just  time  sufficient  be- 
fore our  removal  from  Lisbon  to  give  you 
a  short  account  of  the  most  interesting- 
features  of  my  tour. 

About  six  miles  from  Lisbon  the  Prince 
Regent  has  a  palace  in  the  village  of  Que- 
luz,  which  formed  his  country  residence. 
The  road  leading  to  it  is  nearly  straight, 
well  paved,  and  lies  for  the  most  part  over 
stoney  hills.  It  is  a  neat  and  agreeable 
place^surrounded   by  forests  and   pasture 


G4  PORTUGAL. 

land.  The  latter  part  of  the  road  from 
Lisbon  is  lined  on  each  side  with  myrtles 
and  geraniums,  growing  wild  and  in  great 
perfection,  the  perfume  of  which  extends 
to  a  considerable  distance  around,  forming 
a  striking  novelty  to  those  who  have  only 
been  accustomed  to  more  northern  cli- 
mates. The  palace  is  a  large  and  very 
handsome  building,  and  the  rooms  are 
spacious  and  numerous.  It  is  built  with 
red  brick,  and  was  fitted  up  and  adorned 
principally  by  the  French,  and  complete- 
ly in  the  Parisian  style  ;  the  Regent  at  his 
departure  for  the  Braziles  having  taken 
with  him  all  the  more  valuable  and  move- 
able part  of  the  furniture.  The  paintings 
upon  the  cielings  and  walls  are  by  the  first 
artists.  The  couches,  chairs  &c.  are 
light,  costly,  and  elegant.  The  grand  hall 
of  audience  is  lined  with  large  mirrors, 
and  the  pillars  round  the  room  are  orna- 
mented in  a  similar  manner.  The  carving 
of  all  the  rooms  is  generally  well  done, 
and  that  of  the  banquetting-room  is  pecu- 
liarly rich  and  excellent,  but  the  palace  in 
general  is  out  of  repair.     Great  prepara- 


PORTUGAL.  65 

tions  were  made  here  for  the  reception  of 
Buonaparte,  who  however  from  the  un- 
looked-for turn  of  affairs  disappointed  pub- 
lic expectation. 

In  one  of  the  rooms  of  an  octagon  shape 
I  observed  the  history  of  Don  Quixotte 
beautifully  painted,  and  many  very  fine 
portraits  and  landscapes  by  the  first  mas- 
ters were  interspersed  throughout  the 
other  apartments. 

The  gardens  are  agreeably  laid  out, 
though  not  perhaps  in  the  very  best  taste. 
They  are  decorated  with  a  variety  of 
very  handsome  bridges,  temples,  water- 
falls, fish-ponds  &c.  The  park,  woods, 
and  pleasure-grounds  are  extensive,  and 
afford  ample  scope  for  the  diversion  of 
sportsmen,  abounding  with  wild  boars  and 
game  of  many  kinds.  It  is  a  singular  cir- 
cumstance that  the  dignified  clergy  pos- 
sess the  right  of  shooting  in  these,  as  well 
as  (1  believe)  in  every  other  royal  park  in 
the  kingdom,  and  have  the  additional  ad- 


66  rORTUOAL. 

vantage    of   extending    this  privilege   to 
other  persons. 

About  fourteen  miles  from  Lisbon,  to- 
wards the  sea,  lies  the  town  of  Cintra, 
which  will  ever  be  in  the  remembrance  of 
Englishmen,  on  account  of  the  celebrated 
convention  bearing  its  name.  The  road 
from  Lisbon  to  this  place  is  very  rough 
and  stony. 

In  order  to  view  the  beauties  of  the  sur- 
rounding country  we  found  it  necessary  to 
quit  our  horses,  and  to  hire  mules  and 
donkies,  which  from  their  sureness  of  foot 
are  better  calculated  for  surmounting  the 
steep  precipices  and  various  difficulties 
with  which  the  neighbourhood  abounds. 

Imagination  cannot,  I  think,  conceive 
the  sublimity  of  the  scene  from  the 
heights,  which  include  a  most  extensive 
prospect  both  by  sea  and  land. 

Shakespear's  Cliff  is  a  mere  mole-hill  to 
them.     The  rock  of  Lisbon,  formed  by  a 


PORTUGAL.  67 

chain  of  stony  mountains,  reaches  to  these 
parts,  and  produces  a  most  beautiful 
and  striking  effect.  From  this  mountain- 
ous part  of  the  country  all  the  lower  towns 
and  villages  are  supplied  with  water  by  the 
different  aqueducts,  and  the  numerous 
plantations  around  are  also  irrigated  by 
fruitful  streams  issuing  from  the  rocks. 

The  principal  aqueduct  is  highly  de- 
serving of  attention  as  a  magnificent  and 
elegant  work.  Close  to  the  suburbs  of 
Lisbon,  after  emerging  from  the  moun- 
tains, it  is  thrown  across  a  broad  valley* 
by  lofty  and  beautiful  arches  composed  of 
an  handsome  granite,  and  soon  after  again 
enters  the  earth,  and  deposits  its  stream 
into  several  finely-worked  and  spacious  re- 
servoirs,furnished  with  delightful  fountains; 
thus  drawing  water  from  rocks  and  moun- 
tains many  leagues  distant  from  Lisbon,  and 
presenting  a  stupendous  work  worthy  even 
the  genius  of  the  Romans.  This  noble 
aqueduct  was  built  in  the  reign  of  John  V. 

*  Valley  of  Alcantera. 
F  2 


6S  PORTUGAL. 

during  the  early  part  of  the  last  century. 
This  monarch  appears  to  have  been  one  of 
the  most  public  spirited  that  ever  reigned 
in  Portugal,  many  other  remarkable  work* 
being  indebted  to  him  for  their  origin. 

After  we  had  satiated  ourselves  with  the 
delightful  scenery  around  us  we  returned 
to  our  inn,  where  a  more  substantial  spe- 
cies of  gratification  awaited  us  in  the 
shape  of  an  excellent  dinner  dressed  in 
the  English  style,  for  which  however  we 
paid  pretty  dearly  ;  a  circumstance  very 
usual  when,  as  in  this  case,  the  inn  was 
kept  by  a  British  subject. 

Following  the  example  of  others,  before 
we  quitted  these  parts  we  went  on  a  little 
farther,  in  order  to  see  the  grand  and  ex- 
tensive convent  of  Mafra,  built  by  the 
same  patriotic  monarch  who  erected  the 
great  aqueduct;  and  who  also  endowed  this 
sumptuous  monastery  with  a  valuable  li- 
brary. The  convent  of  Mafra  contains 
a  royal  palace  beneath  its  roof;  and  thus, 
by  the  union  of  ministers  both  of  church 


PORTUGAL.  69 

and  state,  seems  to  have  been  intended  to 
bring  closer  under  the  influence  of  the 
monks  the  bigotted  sovereigns  of  Portugal. 
The  length  of  the  building  in  front  is  very 
considerable,  and  possesses  an  air  of  com- 
bined simplicity  and  grandeur  in  an  high 
degree  ;  very  few  I  believe  in  Europe  ex- 
ceed it  in  size.  The  approach  to  it  is  fine, 
and  you  ascend  a  grand  flight  of  steps  to 
the  entrance.  A  beautiful  chapel,  fur- 
nished with  a  good  toned  organ,  forms  a 
striking  portion  of  the  building.  The 
monks  had  great  influence  over  the  pre- 
sent Regent,  who  is  not,  even  by  his  own 
countrymen,  famed  for  any  of  the  higher 
virtues  and  qualities  of  the  mind.  During 
the  invasion  of  the  kingdom  by  Junot  in 
1807  (I  believe,)  at  the  time  the  enemy 
was  almost  at  the  gates  of  Lisbon,  these 
devout  men  had  complete  possession  of  his 
Royal  Highness's  mind,  and  kept  him  em- 
ployed in  chanting  and  prayer  whilst  the 
roar  of  French  cannon  was  announcing  the 
captivity  of  his  subjects.  Without  the  inter- 
ference of  England  the  conquest  of  Portu- 
gal by  France  no  doubt  would  have  been 


70  PORTUGAL. 

but  the  work  of  a  day.  Junot,  like  Caesar, 
might  have  said — "  Veni,  ridi,  vici"  But, 
when  the  incubus  of  a  miserable  priest- 
ridden  government  was  removed,  the  Por- 
tuguese became  more  respectable  at  home, 
and  more  formidable  (as  we  have  seen  from 
their  tine  army,)  to  their  enemies. 

Having  touched  upon  such  subjects  as  I 
thought  might  interest  you  regarding  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  capital,  I  shall  now 
conclude.  Probably  my  next  letter  will 
be  dated  some  distance  hence. 


PORTUGAL.  71 


LETTER  VII. 


March  from  Lisbon  up   the  Country — Lord  Welling- 
ton's Lines — Santarem — Arrival  at  Chamusca. 


Chamusca,  February,  1813. 

•Since  writing  my  last  letter  we  have 
moved  from  Bellem  towards  the  head- 
quarters of  the  army  j  and  I  must  say  I 
felt  no  small  gratification  in  getting  clear 
of  the  dirt  and  effluvia  of  Lisbon,  and 
once  more  enjoying  a  purer  air  together 
with  the  novelties  incident  to  a  march  in 
this  country,  which  during  the  delightful 
weather  we  have  experienced  is  far  prefer- 
able to  the  dull  monotony  attendant  on  a 
long  residence  in  one  place.  Very  few 
objects  worthy  of  observation  lay  in  our 
route.  The  country  in  general  is  fertile, 
finely  variegated  and  pleasing.  Olive  and 
orange-groves  flourish  in  abundance,  and 


72  PORTUGAL. 

in  this  neighbourhood  are  found  very  fine 
and  extensive  vineyards,  yielding  wine 
which  is  of  the  best  quality,  and  retailed 
at  about  four-pence  a  bottle. 

In  every  town  and  village  we  have 
passed  through  the  effects  of  the  unprinci- 
pled conduct  of  the  French  army  are  con- 
spicuous, which  has  naturely  caused  their 
name  to  be  held  in  utter  abhorrence; 
and  yet  their  barbarities  are  much  less  se- 
verely felt  than  I  understand  them  to  have 
been  in  more  remote  parts.  A  small  por- 
tion of  retail  trade  is  carried  on  in  most  of 
the  places  through  which  we  have  passed, 
and  in  this  neighbourhood  in  particular 
large  quantities  of  wine  are  exported. 
The  land  also  is  daily  improving  in  culti- 
vation, though  the  arts  of  agriculture  are  at 
a  comparatively  low  ebb.  About  six  leagues 
from  Lisbon  on  the  left  my  attention  was 
of  course  attracted  by  a  part  of  Lord  Wel- 
lington's extensive  lines  coming  in  view; 
of  which,  as  they  constitute  a  very  promi- 
nent feature  in  the  history  of  the  cam- 
paign, I  shall  endeavour  to  give  you  some 


PORTUGAL.  <3 

idea;  particularly  as  I  have  obtained  my 
information  upon  the  subject  from  authori- 
ty on  which  I  can  most  fully  rely.  After 
Lord  Wellington  had  fought  the  battle  of 
Talavera,  the  result  of  which  was  unques- 
tionably in  our  favour,  he  was  obliged, 
from  circumstances  which  it  will  be  unne- 
cessary to  enumerate  in  this  place,  to  re- 
linquish his  position,  in  consequence  of 
Soult's  bold  and  unexpected  movement 
upon  Placentia  in  conjunction  with  Mor- 
tier.  The  country  upon  which  he  was 
forced  to  retire  was  unfortunately  of  the 
worst  description,  and  after  a  sickly  so- 
journ in  Estramadura,  ever  the  grave  of 
armies  tarrying  there,  his  Lordship  fell 
farther  back,  and  finally  retreated  to  Por- 
tugal. This  retreat,  so  bitterly  lamented 
by  the  allied  countries,  and  by  Eng- 
land in  particular,  again  roused  the  de- 
sponding bodings  of  opposition;  and  the 
firm  belief  in  the  never-failing  ascendancy 
of  the  French  arms,  together  with  the  idea 
of  the  almost  absolute  insanity  attend- 
ant upon  our  endeavours  to  put  a  stop 
to    their    progress: — but    the    vigour    of 


i  k  PORTUGAL. 

the  masterly  mind  which  directed  these 
operations  was  only  increased  by  the  doubts 
thus  cast  upon  its  great  military  capacity. 
— His  Lordship  was  aware  of  the  tremen- 
dous means  that  could  be  employed  to  force 
the  British  army  from  the  Continent;  and 
he  was  equally  convinced  that  the  enemy 
would  put  every  resource  in  motion  to  ac- 
complish this  great  object,  well  knowing 
that  this  important  point  once  obtained,  all 
minor  difficulties  would  vanish.  To  this 
end  he  resolved  on  that  plan  of  warfare 
that  eventually  proved  the  key-stone  to  his 
own  glory  and  the  deliverance  of  Europe. 
In  1809  he  determined  upon  fortifying  a 
position,  which  being  unassailable  in  its 
flanks,  would  render  the  great  superiority  of 
the  enemy's  numbers  of  little  avail;  and  by 
being  far  within  the  country  would  tend  to 
draw  the  enemy  rapidly  to  the  extremity  of 
the  kingdom,  where  of  course  he  could 
have  no  magazines,  and  where  every  re- 
source might  be  cut  off  even  by  the  inha- 
bitants themselves ;  so  that  his  difficulties 
would  be  multiplied,  his  destruction  ren- 
dered more  probable,  and  the  safety  of  the 


PORTUGAL.  15 

allied  army  provided  for.  The  position  se- 
lected by  his  Lordship  for  the  attainment 
of  these  great  ends  was  one  which  covers 
Lisbon  at  a  distance  of  more  than  six 
leagues  from  the  city,  defending  every 
road  to  the  capital  through  the  great  pro- 
vince of  Beira,  the  very  centre  and  heart 
of  the  kingdom,  and  which  upon  the  best 
military  opinions  must  always  form  the 
great  object  of  attack.  This  celebrated 
position  had  its  right  resting  upon  the  Ta- 
gus  at  Alhanda,  whence  it  stretched  across 
to  Porte  de  Roll  on  the  sea,  and  had  con- 
sequently the  most  powerful  apuis  for  both 
flanks,  whilst  its  rear  remained  open  and 
clear  to  all  sorts  of  supplies.  The  posi- 
tion which  I  am  now  hastily  describing, 
and  which  in  1810  occupied  so  important 
a  point  in  the  attention  of  Europe,  was 
formed  by  a  chain  of  hills  running  in  the 
direction  already  mentioned ;  the  most  com- 
manding of  which,  and  particularly  those 
principally  overlooking  the  approaches  to 
the  capital,  were  occupied  by  strong  re- 
doubts, that  on  the  advance  of  Massena 
were  garrisoned  principally  by  the  I'ortu- 


76  PORTUGAL. 

guese  troops ;  the  infantry  (chiefly  British) 
were  judiciously  posted  in  the  long  inter- 
vening spaces,  to  oppose  the  enemy  should 
he  attempt  to  penetrate,  forming  a  chain 
of  curtains  to  the  redoubts.  The  grand 
redoubt  of  the  position  occupied  the  rear 
of  Sobral ;  and  Torres  Vedras  also  came 
within  the  line.  This  principal  redoubt 
was  occupied  by  1500  men,  and  thither 
Lord  Wellington  came  every  morning,  and 
thence  could  reconnoitre  almost  his  entire 
position.  The  whole  of  this  extensive  line 
was  not  occupied  :  it  was  unnecessary  that 
it  should  be  so  j  for  the  direction  in  which 
the  great  Estrella  mountains  run  through 
Beira,  cutting  that  part  of  the  kingdom  in 
two,  made  it  impossible  for  the  enemy  in 
front  of  the  position  to  make  any  consider- 
able movement  to  either  flank,  in  half  the 
time  that  the  army  in  the  position  could 
make  a  corresponding  one.  There  was  also, 
in  addition,  a  second  line  taken  up  and 
occupied  much  in  the  same  manner,  fur- 
nished with  redoubts  that  ran  through  Bu- 
cillas,  Mafra  &c.  &c.  &c.  and  military 
encampments  were  made  near  St.  Julian, 


PORTUGAL.  7 / 


which  would  have  assisted  embarkation,  in 
case  of  any  unforeseen  disaster  occurring 
in  front  that  might  have  called  for  such  a 
measure.  A  strong  position  in  like  man- 
ner was  fortified  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
Tagus,  in  order  to  ensure  the  safety  of  the 
ships  in  the  river,  in  the  event  of  the  ene- 
my moving  in  force  on  that  side  ;  and  the 
whole  military  resources  of  the  river  being 
at  Lord  Wellington's  disposal,  the  enemy 
could  never  have  reached  the  capital  from 
that  quarter.  The  influence  of  the  British 
general  over  the  Portuguese  nation  was 
paramount,  for  he  was  to  all  practical  pur- 
poses King  of  Portugal;  and  Sir  Charles 
Stewart,  our  Envoy,  having  also  a  seat  in 
the  government,  there  was  less  difficulty  in 
carrying  into  effect  any  arrangements  in 
contemplation.  The  removing  the  sup- 
plies of  the  country  out  of  the  enemy's 
reach,  thereby  rendering  the  land  through 
which  he  was  to  pass  a  waste,  was  part 
of  this  extensive  plan;  though  much 
difficulty  occurred  in  carrying  this  portion 
of  it  into  execution ;  for  the  Portuguese 
government  could  hardly  be  induced  to  ac- 


PORTUGAL. 


cede  to  any  measure  that  would  bring  so 
powerful  and  dreaded  an  enemy  close  to 
their  very  gates.  The  firmness  however  of 
Lord  Wellington  prevailed;  and  it  was,  I 
am  told,  an  heart-rending  spectacle  to  see 
the  poor  inhabitants  turning  out  of  their 
dwellings  with  their  children  and  move- 
ables, flying  in  all  directions — to  misery 
and  death.  The  cavalry  was  stationed  in 
the  rear,  and  upon  the  left  flanks,  in  which 
latter  situation  they  were  a  great  annoy- 
ance to  the  enemy,  who  was  obliged  to  fo- 
rage extensively.  Generals  Silviera  and 
Trant  were  posted  in  the  north,  and  con- 
sequently during  the  enemy's  sojourn  be- 
fore our  position  operated  successfully 
upon  his  rear. 

Such  were  the  preparations  for  the  great 
campaign  of  1810,  which  in  its  immediate 
consequences  overthrew  one  of  the  enemy's 
most  powerful  armies,  and  liberated  the 
kingdom  of  Portugal.  In  its  more  remote 
consequences  it  held  out  a  cheering  exam- 
ple to  the  nations  of  Europe,  and  eventu- 
ally  animated  them   to   successful  resist- 


PORTUGAL.  79 

ance  ;  a  campaign  which  completely  falsi- 
fied the  predictions  of  those  who  proplie- 
cied  the  most  disastrous  results,  and  in  its 
sequel  exceeded  the  most  sanguine  expec- 
tations ;  a  campaign  which  by  the  fair  ope- 
ration of  superior  tactics,  and  the  firm  and 
steady  perseverance  in  one  great  plan,  cost 
the  enemy  the  flower  of  one  of  his  finest 
armies  without  a  single  general  action. 

It  is  not  my  object  to  descant  with  mi- 
nuteness or  military  accuracy  upon  this 
extraordinary  campaign  ;  and  I  only  men- 
tion it  from  its  forming  so  prominent  and 
interesting  a  feature  in  the  subject  before 
us.  The  powerful  means  resorted  to  by  the 
enemy,  his  selection  of  a  general  supposed 
to  be  the  favoured  child  of  fortune,  his 
haughty  boastings,  and  rapid  strides  to- 
wards the  subjugation  of  the  country,  the 
sad  predictions  and  fears  of  the  people  in 
England,  and  the  invincible  firmness  with 
which  Lord  Wellington  (who  in  opinion 
almost  stood  alone,)  viewed  the  gathering 
storm  on  the  frontier  of  that  country  en- 
trusted to  his  care,  are  still  in  the  recollec- 


Id  PORTUGAL. 

tion  of  the  public.  The  rapid  and  im- 
posing advance  of  Massina  very  much 
alarmed  the  government  and  people  of 
Lisbon  ;  and  when  it  was  known  that  his 
cannon  was  almost  within  hearing,  terror 
arrived  at  its  height.  The  applications  for 
departures  and  passages  to  England,  Ame- 
rica, and  almost  every  part  of  the  globe, 
became  importunate  and  incessant.  The 
packets,  intended  to  accommodate  thirty  or 
forty,  were  bespoken  for  from  two  to  three 
hundred,  and  confusion  and  alarm  reigned 
throughout  that  populous  city. 

At  this  time  Marshal  Beresford  was  ad- 
vanced to  the  Order  of  the  Bath;  and, 
though  it  may  appear  singular,  the  cere- 
mony of  his  investment  and  the  gaieties  at- 
tendant upon  it  actually  allayed  the  storm 
of  anxiety,  and  appeased  the  fears  of  the 
Portuguese.  Lord  Wellington  gave  a  grand 
dinner  and  ball  in  the  palace  of  Mafra  to 
the  officers  and  gentry,  in  honor  of  the  ce- 
remonial of  investment.  The  dinner  was 
of  course  confined  to  persons  of  the  highest 
description,  though  the  invitations  to  the 


PORTUGAL.  SI 

evening  were  nearly  general.     The  enemy, 
amounting   to  upwards    of    80,000   men, 
was  then  before  us,   the   out-posts    were 
close,  and  our  allied  videttes  and  his  could 
shake  hands.     A  very  small  portion  of  offi* 
cers  only  were  left  in  the  first  line,  all  the 
rest  being  allowed  to  join  in  the  festivities 
of  the  day.     Arrangements  were  however 
made  that  every  one  should  return  to  his 
post   after   the   ball.     The   whole   of  this 
fearless    and    judicious   measure   inspired 
confidence,  and  produced  a  most  happy  ef- 
fect.   The  Portuguese  naturally  felt,  that,  if 
the  Commander  of  the  Forces  could  give  a 
fete  to  the  whole  army  wThen   a  powerful 
enemy's  advanced  posts  were  almost  within 
hearing  of  his  revels,   the  danger   could 
not  be  very  pressing.     It  being  usual  on 
bespeaking  a  passage  in  the  packet  to  pay 
half  down  in  the  event  of  not  going,  many 
of  the   captains,    in    consequence   of  the 
tranquillity  and  security  diffused  through- 
out the  city  by  this  wTell«timed  entertain- 
ment, acquired  considerable  property.  One 
of  them   had  absolutely  received    money 
from  about  2J0  persons  who  were  flying  to 

G 


82  PORTUGAL. 

England,  but  who  subsequently  to  this  ball 
altered  their  resolution;  and  the  captain 
only  carried  thirty,  the  rest  forfeiting  their 
deposit  rather  than  adhere  to  determina- 
tions made  during  the  phrenzy  of  terror 
and  despair. 

Having  thus  given  you  an  hasty  sketch 
of  these  celebrated  lines  and  of  the  im- 
portant purposes  they  were  intended  to  ful- 
fil, I  shall  now  return  to  my  narrative. 

Overhanging  Villa  Franca  (a  neat  little 
town  near  the  lines  upon  the  high  road,) 
stands  a  mountain  which  a  day's  halt  gave 
me  an  opportunity  of  ascending,  and  my 
pains  were  well  rewarded  by  the  prospect 
it  commanded.  A  mountainous  tract 
stretching  from  east  to  west  to  an  immense 
extent  lay  behind  me,  and  the  meanderings 
of  the  Tagus  for  many  leagues,  with  a  large 
morass  in  front,  occupied  a  space  farther 
than  the  eye  could  reach;  altogether  pre- 
senting to  the  view  a  country  which,  if  pro- 
perly regulated,  would  produce  a  degree  of 
wealth  greatly  exceeding  the  present  wants 


PORTUGAL.  #3 

of  its  possessors.  The  flocks  of  wild  fowl 
upon  the  morass,  which  is  partially  drained 
and  very  thinly  peopled,  surpass  all  belief. 
These  parts  are  also  said  to  be  well  stocked 
with  game,  and  I  observed  numerous  birds 
of  prey,  such  as  vultures,  a  very  large  spe- 
cies of  kite  &c.   hovering  about  the  cliffs. 

A  telegraph  is  erected  upon  the  moun- 
tain I  have  just  described,  forming  an  ex- 
tensive point  of  communication  with  Lis- 
bon and  other  important  military  stations. 

The  principal  town  through  which  we 
passed  was  Santarem,  the  last  stage  but  one 
to  this  place,  where  we  crossed  the  river  by 
boats.  It  is  a  considerable  town  situated 
partly  upon  the  summit  of  an  high  hill, 
and  partly  below  it,  by  the  side  of  the  ri- 
ver. From  its  elevated  position  it  is  consi- 
dered a  very  healthy  spot,  and  accordingly  i 
is  appropriated  as  a  depot  for  sick  and 
wounded  officers,  and  some  large  convents 
are  made  use  of  as  hospitals  in  which  six- 
teen hundred  men  can  be  accommodated 
if  necessary.  From  its  vicinity  to  the 
«  2 


84  PORTUGAL. 

water  also  it  forms  a  convenient  dep6t  for 
the  business  of  the  commissariat. 

I  was  much  pleased  with  the  beauty  of 
a  neighbouring  view,  which  is  remark- 
ably woody,  and  very  much  resembles  the 
finest  views  in  Surrey.  Few  of  the  houses 
of  this  town  are  in  a  perfect  state,  but  the 
inhabitants  carry  on  a  considerable  deal  of 
internal  commerce,  and  most  of  the  neces- 
saries and  comforts  of  life  may  be  pur- 
chased among  them.  The  streets  are  nar- 
row and  dirty,  but  the  churches  and  con- 
vents are  magnificent.  A  fine  old  Moorish 
castle,  still  in  good  repair,  overhangs  a 
precipice  adjacent  to  the  town,  and  com- 
mands a  beautiful  and  extensive  prospect. 
This  fortress  possesses  a  subterraneous 
passage  leading  farther  than  I  dared  to 
pursue  it,  probably  originally  used  as  an 
ambuscade. 

I  shall  abstain  from  detailing  an  exact 
account  of  every  village  and  town  we  may 
have  passed  through  on  our  march,  and 
shall  reserve  my  remarks  for  those   only 


PORTUGAL.  85 

which  are  distinguished  by  any  peculiarity, 
and  refer  you  more  particularly  to  the  map 
for  our  route  to  this  place. 

Chamusca  is  a  pleasant  little  town,  built 
in  a  very  rich  and  fertile  country,  sur- 
rounded by  hills  covered  with  the  most 
beautiful  heaths  flourishing  with  peculiar 
luxuriance,  which,  intermingled  with  wild 
lavender  and  other  sweet  herbs,  spread  a 
most  agreeable  perfume  throughout  the 
neighbouring  atmosphere. 

The  Tagus,  which  winds  by  the  town, 
affords  some  small  fish,  and  a  species  of 
salmon  of  a  lesser  kind  than  that  known 
in  England,  altogether  indeed  of  a  dif- 
ferent species,  and  in  great  abundance. 
Its  shape  is  less  round  than  the  English 
salmon,  its  colour  paler,  its  flesh  softer  and 
more  oily,  and  it  contains  innumerable 
small  bones.  It  is  however  highly  prized 
by  the  natives,  and  is  not  (in  the  absence 
of  better)  refused  by  us.  The  river  at  this 
place  is  for  the  most  part  shallow,  though 
its  depth  varies  considerably,  being  a  few 


$6  PORTUGAL. 

leagues  hence  totally  unnavigable,  though 
very  deep  within  short  distances  of  the  ob- 
structions. 

It  is  singular  that  in  winter  it  has  less 
water  in  it  than  at  other  seasons,  excepting 
immediately  following  the  heavy  rains.  In 
summer,  owing  probably  to  the  great  in- 
crease it  receives  from  the  melted  snow 
which  descends  from  the  mountains,  it  is 
usually  fullest. 

The  inhabitants  of  this  town,  as  well  as 
those  whom  we  met  with  on  the  march, 
are  as  hospitable  and  civil  as  the  nature  of 
their  limited  means  will  allow ;  and  they 
universally  appear  to  be  more  simple  in 
their  manners,  and  inclined  to  good  offices 
than  those  in  and  around  the  metropolis. 
A  few  persons  of  good  property  reside  in 
this  place  and  farm  their  estates,  the  chief 
produce  of  which  is  wine. 

As  far  as  my  experience  goes  beyond 
the  capital,  there  is  more  of  virtue,  clean- 
liness and   industry  in  the    country  than 


PORTUGAL.  87 

in  Lisbon  and  its  environs.  The  manu- 
facture of  coarse  cloths  forms  the  princi- 
pal employment  of  the  people  during  the 
day,  their  evenings  being  spent  in  mirth 
and  hilarity ;  while  the  family,  servants, 
and  friends  surround  the  crackling  blaze 
of  a  cheerful  fire-side  in  the  kitchen,  the 
younger  persons  amusing  themselves  with 
dancing  to  the  sound  of  the  guitar,  play- 
ing at  forfeits,  or  singing. 

This  fortunate  place  has  not  experienced 
the  immediate  effects  of  the  enemy's  pre- 
sence ;  the  French  army  having  rested 
on  the  opposite  banks  of  the  river,  making 
only  a  few  attempts  upon  their  cattle, 
though  never  able  to  gain  a  footing  in  the 
town, 

I  have  now  given  you  a  general  sketch 
of  this  place,  and  the  principal  objects  on 
the  route.  I  fancy  we  are  doomed  to  re- 
main here  some  time. 


88  PORTUGAL. 


LETTER  VIII. 


General  Fast — Religious  Ceremonies  and  Processions — 
Sermons — Election  of  Saints — Bull  Fights — Cos- 
tume of  the  Peasantry. 


Chamusca,  March,  1813. 

During  the  last  four  or  five  weeks  past 
the  people  have  been  most  religiously  ab- 
staining from  every  species  of  food,  which, 
according  to  their  persuasion,  may  tend 
hereafter  to  shut  the  door  against  their  en- 
trance into  the  realms  of  everlasting  hap- 
piness; while  they  have  regarded  with  pity 
our  devouring  the  lean  rations  of  the  com- 
missary as  a  sensual  indulgence  too  heinous 
to  admit  an  hope  of  salvation.  I  have  ob- 
served that  while  my  beef-steak  was  hiss- 
ing in  the  frying-pan  they  thought  it  no 


PORTUGAL.  89 

sin  to  feast  their  eyes  upon  it,  whatever 
deadly  effects  its  digestion  might  have 
upon  their  souls;  and  the  eagerness  and 
joy  with  which  they  hailed  the  approach- 
ing conclusion  of  the  fast  testified  the  de- 
gree of  self-denial  that  this  long  mortifica- 
tion of  their  appetites  must  have  cost  them. 
This  fast,  notwithstanding,  is  after  all  less 
formidable  than  one  might  have  previously 
supposed,  as  the  skill  shewn  in  the  cooking 
of  eggs  and  fish  exemplifies  on  these  oc- 
casions. It  is  indeed  proverbial  that  if  you 
want  a  good  dinner  "  dine  with  a  priest 
upon  a  fast-day." 

Processions  by  torch-light,  fire-works, 
dances,  and  the  more  substantial  plea- 
sures of  the  table,  awaited  the  anxious 
hour  of  midnight  to  welcome  and  usher  in 
the  morning  of  Easter-Sunday,  when  the 
fast  terminates ;  at  which  time  the  fisher- 
man lays  by  his  net  and  the  butcher  re- 
sumes his  knife.  In  the  family  on  which  I 
am  billetted  a  couple  of  fowls,  intended  for 
their  supper,  performed  their  evolutions  be- 
fore a  blazing  fire  till  the  clock  had  struck 


90  TORTUGAL. 

the  joyful  hour,  a  stewed  kid  being  the 
first  offering  that  was  provided  for  me  on 
the  return  of  these  gratifications;  which 
were  hailed  with  an  anticipation  of  de- 
light scarcely  surpassed  by  Dr.  Franklin's 
friend  Keimer,  when,  after  a  voluntary 
abstinence  of  nearly  two  years  from  animal 
food,  he  once  more  found  a  roasted  pig  at 
the  free  disposal  of  his  knife  and  fork. 

The  consequences  of  this  long  absti- 
nence and  sudden  repletion,  as  I  have  fre- 
quently noticed,  is,  that  the  people  suffer 
in  their  health  more  or  less  according  to 
the  strength  of  their  constitutions.  The 
young  and  weak  are  not  properly  nou- 
rished during  the  fast,  and  this  quick 
transition  few  stomachs  can  bear. 

During  the  interval  of  spare  diet  the 
priests  continue  to  amuse  the  minds  of  the 
people  by  a  variety  of  ceremonies  and  pro- 
cessions. Some  of  these  I  will  relate  to 
you  as  I  literally  saw  them  performed  in 
this  place,  and  which  generally  indeed  pre- 
vail throughout  the  kingdom  in  a  greater 


PORTUGAL.  91 

or  less  degree  of  splendour,  according  to 
the  wealth  of  those  who  celebrate  them. 
On  mid-lent  day  a  long  procession  sets  out 
from  the  main  church  as  soon  as  divine 
service  is  finished,  with  large  flags  and 
banners  bearing  suitable  devices;  and  a 
figure  of  Our  Saviour  larger  than  life,  in 
the  act  of  carrying  the  cross,  is  borne  upon 
the  shoulders  of  the  attendants.  Priests 
and  assistants  in  various  habits,  bearing  dif- 
ferent insignia  and  implements,  accompa- 
nied by  musicians,  form  the  procession. 
Temporary  altars  are  raised  in  the  streets 
adorned  with  flowers,  and  lighted  candles 
(although  in  broad  day-light,)  together  with 
all  sorts  of  tawdry  tinselled  stuff  to  add  to 
the  decoration  of  the  altar.  At  these 
places  the  procession  halts,  mass  is  per- 
formed, and  a  pulpit  is  erected  from  which 
a  sermon  is  preached. 

I  have  observed  that  in  most  of  their 
discourses  they  endeavour,  by  gesticulation 
and  argument,  to  interest  the  feelings  of 
the  auditors  in  a  manner  somewhat  resem- 
bling that  which  is  pursued  by  our  popu- 


:  *2  PORTUGAL. 

lar  preachers;  the  whole  being  very  artful- 
ly  managed,  till  by  gradual  steps  the  priest 
works  himself  into  a  sort  of  climax  al- 
most depriving  him  of  utterance ;  and  the 
congregation,  whether  from  sympathetic 
feeling  or  habit,  or  in  compliment  to  the 
priest,  seem  inspired  with  an  equal  degree 
of  enthusiasm,  and  indeed  to  a  pitch  that 
completely  confounded  me,  and  which 
from  its  suddenness  rendered  it  absolutely 
impossible  for  me  to  controul  an  irresistible 
propensity  to  indulge  my  risible  faculties. 
On  these  occasions  I  have  seen  the  preacher 
unroll  a  painting  during  his  discourse  re* 
presenting  the  sufferings  of  Our  Saviour,  or 
the  death  of  some  martyr,  and  point  to  it 
with  feelings  that  seemed  completely  to 
overwhelm  him,  producing  a  response  of 
sighs  and  groans  throughout  the  assem- 
bly somewhat  resembling  the  chorus  at 
Smithfield  on  a  market-day.  On  one  of 
these  occasions,  while  a  popular  preacher 
(a  monk  of  the  order  of  Saint  Antonio)  was 
addressing  a  prostrate  audience,  the  figure 
of  an  ugly  old  woman  with  a  silver-leafed 
tiffany  petticoat  stretched  out  on  an  hoop, 


PORTUGAL.  93 

and  a  crescent  of  tin  foil  surmounting  her 
head,  intended  to  represent  the  Virgin  Mary, 
appeared  (very  apropos)  coming  round  a 
corner  supported  upon  men's  shoulders 
from  a  neighbouring  church.  Instantly  the 
monk  in  an  impassioned  strain,  and  point- 
ing to  the  figure,  made  some  allusions 
which  at  first  brought  forth  repeated  and 
stifled  groans  from  the  congregation,  suc- 
ceeded by  a  loud  and  sudden  yell  accom- 
panied with  thumping  of  breasts  and 
smiting  of  cheeks  in  a  style  truly  ludi- 
crous. Each  party  appeared  to  me  to  im- 
pose equally  on  the  other,  and  go  through 
these  regularly  established  manoeuvres  in  a 
studied  and  systematic  manner;  for  I 
could  u  t  perceive  in  this  elaborate  exhi- 
bition, either  in  the  monk  or  his  audience, 
any  indication  of  having  in  reality  suffered 
from  the  acuteness  of  their  feelings. 

Perhaps  you  may  not  be  aware  that  ser- 
mons are  only  preached  at  Christmas,  and 
upon  particular  occasions;  when  the  people 
from  all  parts  of  the  country  flock  to  the 
places  where  these  discourses  are  deli- 
vered, dressed  in  their  holiday  clothes. 


94  PORTUGAL* 

On  the  night  preceding  Good-Friday  a 
procession  was  made  by  torch-light  to  all  the 
churches  in  the  town,  the  object  of  which 
appeared  to  consist  in  carrying  a  little 
figure  of  Our  Saviour,  kept  in  a  particular 
church,  to  pay  its  respects  to  all  the  other 
places  of  worship  in  rotation ;  while  at 
every  visit  some  portion  of  the  service  was 
performed,  accompanied  by  music.  At 
Lisbon  I  understand  this  procession  is 
very  grand.  A  silver  Jesus  is  removed 
from  the  church  of  St.  Roque  to  that  of 
the  Patriarchs  at  Bellem,  and  in  former 
days  was  attended  by  the  first  nobles  of 
the  land  bare-footed  through  the  streets. 

On  Good-Friday  the  procession  of 
the  Crucifixion  was  performed,  upon  the 
splendor  of  which  the  people  greatly 
prided  themselves.  Every  atom  of  gold 
and  silver  leaf,  foil,  tinsel,  silk,  and  other 
finery,  with  beads,  stones,  and  painted 
glass,  that  could  be  collected,  was  lent  by 
the  inhabitants  for  the  occasion.  Chil- 
dren from  most  families  of  the  place, 
dressed  fantastically  with  flowers  &c.  and 
in  the  cdstume  of  different  scriptural  cha- 


PORTUGAL.  95 

racters,  assisted  at  the  ceremony.  Among 
these  a  little  urchin  with  a  bundle  of 
sticks  at  his  back  represented  Isaac,  in  al- 
lusion to  his  sacrifice.  However  impos- 
sible it  may  be  to  suppress  a  feeling  of 
contempt  at  such  scenes,  they  must  never- 
theless produce  pity  for  the  gross  state  of 
ignorance,  and  a  just  sense  of  indignation 
for  the  idolatrous  worship  which  the 
priesthood  inculcates  among  this  supersti- 
tious people. 

Various  other  days  throughout  the  year 
are  celebrated  in  a  similar  manner,  and  as 
the  saints  are  pretty  numerous,  there  is  no 
lack  of  festivals  to  keep  alive  the  atten- 
tion of  the  people.  These  saints  however 
(like  all  public  personages)  have  their  ex- 
istence depending  upon  popular  favour, 
which,  if  at  all  remiss  in  their  duty,  is 
quickly  lost.  Should  any  calamity  befall 
a  village,  the  saint  whose  turn  of  service 
it  may  be  for  the  time  being  is  directly 
cashiered,  and  another  elected  in  his  room. 
I  was  once  present  at  a  contested  elec- 
tion for  the  choice  of  a  guardian  of  this 


96  PORTUGAL. 

species;  the  inhabitants  of  the  village  being 
by  no  means  unanimous  in  their  opinion  of 
the  merits  of  the  old  representative,  who 
was  accordingly  dismissed,  and  a  new  one 
appointed  in  his  room. 

The  holidays  which  succeed  a  fast  have 
from  time  immemorial,  among  other 
amusements,  been  celebrated  with  bull- 
fights both  in  Portugal  and  Spain,  and  in- 
deed upon  the  occasion  of  any  public  fes- 
tival. One  of  these  combats  I  was  fortu- 
nate enough  in  having  an  opportunity  of 
witnessing.  The  spirit  with  which  they 
were  conducted  formerly  has  fallen  off  in 
modern  times,  and  they  now  afford  no 
specimens  of  the  heroism  frequently  dis- 
played in  ancient  days.  In  Seville  and 
Cadiz  I  understand  they  approach  nearer 
to  the  original  mode  of  managing  these 
entertainments,  which  are  there  attended 
with  great  risk,  and  often  end  fatally. 
Having  heard  that  a  diversion  of  this  spe* 
cies  was  about  to  be  given  by  a  Portu- 
guese gentleman  in  the  neighbourhood, 
curiosity  prompted  me  to  join  the  fchrpng, 


PORTUGAL.  97 

and  the  result  surpassed  my  expectations. 
A  ring  was  formed  around  the  gentleman's 
house  by  stages,  carts  &c.  the  company 
principally  consisting  of  the  numerous 
peasantry  of  the  neighbourhood.  The 
master  of  the  festival  observing  several 
British  officers  present  politely  invited  us 
into  his  house,  where  an  elegant  collation 
was  spread,  and  from  the  windows  we  ob- 
tained a  good  view  of  the  combat.  The 
bulls  were  of  a  small  but  strong  African 
breed,  and  their  horns  were  muffled  with 
short  leather  caps.  Several  bulls  were 
provided  for  the  occasion  which  were 
brought  forward  in  succession,  the  same 
animal  in  some  instances  making  his  ap- 
pearance more  than  once  upon  the 
stage.  This  re-entrance  usually  made  the 
bull  more  watchful  and  impatient  than 
others  which  appeared  for  the  first  time 
before  the  spectators,  though  all  occa- 
sioned excellent  sport,  considering  how 
much  advantage  was  thrown  into  the  scale 
of  their  antagonists.  At  first  I  observed 
that  the  bull  kept  the  centre  of  the  ring, 
<iil  repeated  provocation  induced  him  to 


98  PORTUGAL. 

pursue  some  of  his  opponents,  who  were 
armed  with  short   staves  terminated  by  a 
barbed  iron  point,  and  capable  of  entering 
about  one  inch  into  the  flesh.     Each  man 
carried  two  of  these  instruments,  and  dis- 
covered great  dexterity  in  attacking  the 
bull,  directing  the  weapons  to  the  upper 
and  fleshy  part  of  the  neck,  and  returning 
for  the  most  part  unhurt.     When  the  ani- 
mal is  once  induced  to  point  his  attention 
to  any  individual  opponent,  he  is  then  at- 
tacked by  the  rest;  and,  when  maddened 
with  the  quantity  of  darts  by  which  he  is 
assailed,    he    is    quickly    surrounded    and 
forced  from  the  yard  into  the  penn,  where 
the    darts  are  removed    and    his   wounds 
dressed.     Another  mode  practised  in  these 
exhibitions  is  for  the  combatants  to  entice 
the  bull  to  approach  them  by  a  variety  of 
menaces   and  gestures,    when    a  cloak   is 
held  on  one  side  which  the  animal  eagerly 
runs  at,  and  disappointed  in  finding  no  re- 
sistance rolls  over  upon  the  ground.      A 
third  mode  is  to  meet  the  bull  face  to  face, 
and,  upon  his  endeavouring  to  toss  his  ad- 
versary, the  man   by  a    sudden  turn  and 


PORTUGAL.  99 

spring    seats    himself    between    the    two 
horns,  laying  hold  of  each  with  his  hands. 
A  very  powerful   mulatto    was    the  chief 
hero  of  the  day,  and  for  the  sake  of  the 
applause  bestowed,  and  occasional  presents 
which  the  spectators  threw  into  the  ring, 
he  attempted  several  dangerous  exploits. 
At  one  time  when  he  had  succeeded  in 
seizing  a  bull   by  the  horns,  it  was  for  a 
long  time  doubtful  which  would  prove  vic- 
torious, as  this  bull  was  stronger  and  more 
powerful  than  the  rest,  and  dreadfully  en- 
raged at  being  so  handled.     The  man  was 
repeatedly  thrown  upon  the  ground,  and 
again  raised  from  it  by  the  furious  animal; 
till  at  length  the  man  succeeded  in  fixing 
the  bull's  head  (still  retaining  his  hold  upon 
the  horns,)  so  firmly  down  that  he  was  able 
to  pull  the  animal  completely  over,  and 
they  both  rolled  on  the  ground  together 
without  any  serious  injury  to  either.  Shouts 
of  applause,  and    showers  of  vintems  and 
pesetas  followed  this  courageous  exertion, 
and  closed  the  entertainment,  which  was 
succeeded  by  dancing  till  the  weary  pea- 
santry dispersed  to  their  homes. 
B  2 


100  PORTUGAL. 

It  surprized  me  to  observe  among  this 
assemblage  of  country  people,  in  a  nation 
so  much    inferior    to  ours   in   wealth  and 
knowledge,  that  the  dress  and  manners  of 
the   peasants    were  infinitely    superior    to 
those  of  the  generality  among  our  peasantry; 
there  being  throughout  the   former  a  de- 
gree of  refinement  in   manners  absolutely 
unknown  to  the  English  peasant.     Their 
holiday  dress  has  a  gay  appearance,  con- 
sisting usually  of  a  short  blue  jacket  with 
a  quantity  of  white  buttons,  breeches  of 
blue,  red,  or  green    plush,  or   cloth,  and 
white  cotton  stockings, with  broad-b:  immed 
round  hats,  and  a  red  sash   of  net-work 
round  the  waist.     To  these  they  add  very 
large   plated  buckles    to    the    shoes   and 
knees.     Each  man  usually  carries  upon  all 
occasions  of  festivity  a  long  stick   in  his 
hand  of  from  seven  to  eight  or  nine  feet 
high.      With  this  pole    they  mount  their 
horses    or    mules    by  a   spring   from    the 
ground.      They  are  extremely  expert  in 
the  use  of  it  on  every  occasion,  and  defy 
the  quickness  of  a  single-stick  player.  The 
country  people  carry  this  stick  as  much 


PORTUGAL.  101 

for  defence  as  for  ornament.  In  the  north 
of  Portugal,  I  am  told,  they  are  more  ex- 
pert in  the  use  of  these  poles  than  in  any 
other  part ;  where  it  is  also  customary  to 
have  the  lower  end  of  their  sticks  black- 
ened to  the  extent  of  about  a  foot  and  an 
half  upwards.  The  whiteness  of  their 
linen  and  generally  cleanly  appearance  are 
remarkable,  which  gives  an  air  of  respecta- 
bility to  the  crowds  assembled  upon  festive 
occasions.  In  their  working  dress  they 
are  less  nice,  tattered  and  dirty  brown 
clothes  not  being  despised,  nor  any  con- 
trivance which.canbe  made  use  of  to  keep 
off  the  effects  of  inclement  weather. 
Anions:  the  latter  the  most  remarkable  is 
a  kind  of  thatched  straw  great-coat,  cover- 
ing the  head  and  falling  over  the  shoul- 
ders and  arms,  and  down  below  the  knees. 
This  is  worn  by  both  sexes  who  are  ac- 
customed, in  watching  the  herds,  planta- 
tions &c.  to  remain  long  together  in  the 
open  air.  The  first  time  I  saw  this  I  was 
much  astonished  and  puzzled  to  under- 
stand it.  It  appeared  to  me  that  a  little 
cottage,  for  I  could  perceive  nothing  but 


102  PORTUGAL. 

this  thatch,  was  moving  down  the'  hill; 
and  my  horse  appeared  to  be  no  less  sur- 
prised, and  rather  than  wait  the  issue  sud- 
denly turned  and  gallopped  back  in  great 
terror.  The  women  exhibit  very  gro- 
tesque figures  from  wearing  their  waists 
exceedingly  long,  and  their  hair  piled 
upon  the  top  of  their  heads  as  high  as  the 
uncurtailed  luxuriance  of  its  growth  will 
admit,  sprinkled  with  flour,  and  studded 
with  bunches  of  ribbons ;  in  addition  to 
which  they  sometimes  crown  the  top  with 
a  little  black  beaver  hat.  The  costume  of 
the  higher  classes  of  women  appi*>aches 
nearer  to  the  English  taste. 

We  march  to-morrow,  and  you  will  hear 
from  me  when  we  take  up  our  next  quar- 
ters. 


PORTUGAL.  103 


LETTER  IX- 


March  from  Chamusca  to  the  Frontiers— State  of 
Agriculture  and  Society — Atrocities  of  the  French 
Army  and  revengeful  Disposition  of  the  Portu- 
guese— Deficiency  of  medical  and  surgical  Know- 
ledge— Prejudices  among  the  Portuguese. 


Quadrazais,  May,  1813. 

Soon  after  I  dispatched  my  last  letter  we 
commenced  another  move  towards  head- 
quarters. I  am  stationed  at  present  in  a 
poor  little  half-deserted  village  upon  the 
frontier,  within  a  few  miles  of  Spanish 
ground.  Our  march  has  been  long  and 
tedious.  During  a  few  days  the  weather 
was  delightful,  but  was  soon  succeeded  by 
almost  perpetual  hard  rains  and  cold 
winds,  which  added  to  vile  roads  and  bil- 


104.  PORTUGAL. 

lets  at  miserable  habitations,  scarcely  de- 
serving the  name  of  houses,  diminished 
very  greatly  the  pleasures  of  our  inarch. 

The  country  throughout  this  route 
strongly  exhibited  the  feeble  efforts  of  a 
people  (by  nature  slothful  and  prejudiced 
beyond  example,)  struggling  to  recover 
from  the  yoke  which  during  many  years 
had  oppressed  them,  and  to  dissipate  the 
ruin  and  desolation  which  the  horrors  of 
war  have  recently  scattered  over  the  coun- 
try, by  attending  to  the  arts  of  husbandry. 
The  soil  is  naturally  prolific  and  the  cli- 
mate favourable  j  while  the  long  and 
uninterrupted  sunshine  which  the  coun- 
try enjoys  is  relieved  by  the  abun- 
dant quantities  of  water  that  periodical- 
ly fall  during  the  rainy  seasons,  re- 
plenishing the  numerous  springs  which 
perpetually  flow  through  the  vallies  from 
the  neighbouring  rocks  and  hills.  Here 
the  simplest  system  of  agriculture  must 
flourish,  in  a  land  so  highly  favoured 
by  nature ;  and  were  the  people  industri- 
ous,  the  labour  of  a  few  years  only  would 


PORTUGAL.  105 

no  doubt  open  a  source  by  which  they 
might  ameliorate  their  condition.     But  the 
Portuguese    are    disinclined    to    exertion, 
and   suffer    the   cultivation    of   vines  (of 
which  we  reap  the  advantage,)  to   occupy 
the  land  almost  entirely,  no  great  trouble 
being   necessary   to   their   culture.      The 
soil  every  where  also  abounds  with  quanti- 
ties   of  stone   admirably  adapted  for    the 
purposes  of  building,  and  numerous  woods 
of   different    species    (such    as   oak,  elm, 
ash,  walnut,  fir,  pines,  chesnut,  cork  &c.) 
afford  timber  sufficient  in  quantity  and  in 
quality  to  supply  every  purpose  for  which 
they  can  be  required.     The  advantages  of 
pasturage  too  are  very  considerable  ;  and 
the   land,   generally  furnishing  admirable 
feed  to  the  extensive  flocks  which  it  is 
capable  of  maintaining,  with  the  immense 
quantities    of  sweet   acorns   which    every 
where  abound,  would,  under  proper   ma- 
nagement, sustain   innumerable    herds   of 
swine  &c:  good  husbandry  however  must 
not  be  looked  for  in   Portugal,  till  reform 
has  penetrated  to  the  inmost  roots  of  that 
corruption  which  undermines  the  country. 


106  PORTUGAL. 

Some  few  miserable  individuals  indeed 
may  meritoriously  struggle  to  obtain  a 
livelihood,  or  even  an  independence,  but 
there  is  generally  a  want  of  patriotic  spi- 
rit and  inclination  towards  improvement 
throughout  the  country.  The  genius  of 
the  people  appears  to  be  paralysed,  and 
they  seem  to  want  energy  to  take  advan- 
tage of  the  relief  lately  afforded  them  from 
French  tyranny ;  and  instead  of  rousing 
themselves  to  assert  and  maintain  their 
natural  rights,  they  still  remain  a  poor, 
wretched,  and  oppressed  people.  How 
happens  it  then  that  this  country,  pos- 
sessing such  natural  advantages  and  abun- 
dant resources  in  herself,  a  free  trade,  a 
flourishing  capital,  no  enemy  threaten- 
ing its  invasion,  but  on  the  contrary,  a 
powerful  friend  in  the  protection  of 
Great  Britain  ;  how  happens  it  that  this 
devoted  country  still  continues  so  low  in 
its  general  character  and  estimation?  The 
answer  is  obvious — the  corrupt  govern- 
ment under  which  they  have  been  so  long 
oppressed  has  crushed  the  national  pride, 
arid  destroyed   all    emulation   among  the 


PORTUGAL.  107 

people  to  rival  other  nations,  and  to  adopt 
and  cherish  those  acquirements,  which  by 
enlightening  the  mind  and  affording  know- 
ledge would  naturally  augment  their  power 
and  respectability.  But  it  is  not  only 
among  the  peasantry  that  the  distressed 
state  of  the  country  is  observable,  but  in 
every  other  point  also. 

Literature  and  general  education  are 
not  merely  at  a  stand,  but  actually  can- 
not be  said  to  exist ;  the  fine  arts  are  ne- 
glected, and  the  useful  are  in  practice 
very  far  below  those  of  other  nations. 

Accustomed  as  we  are,  and  justly,  to  be 
proud  of  those  eminent  advantages  which 
the  active  and  enterprising  disposition  of 
the  British  lias  insured  to  the  nation,  we 
are  rather  apt  I  am  afraid  to  blame,  and 
look  down  a  little  too  much  upon  the  un- 
fortunate Portuguese.  A  slight  degree  of 
observation  and  reflection  would,  I  think, 
convince  you  that  they  are  rather  deserv- 
ing of  pity  and  commiseration,  than  of  cen- 
sure and  contempt.     There  does  not  ap- 


108  PORTUGAL. 

pear  to  be  any  peculiar  deficiency  of  moral 
principle  among  the  people  ;  and  consider- 
ing the  disadvantages  under  which  they 
labour,  their  wretched  and  inefficient  go- 
vernment, the  haughty  and  contemptuous 
conduct  of  the  aristocracy,  and  the  conse- 
quent want  of  all  reciprocal  feeling  be- 
tween the  higher  and  lower  orders,  it  is 
matter  for  astonishment  that  so  many  in- 
stances of  a  really  virtuous  disposition 
and  of  native  goodness  occur,  especially 
in  those  parts  remote  from  the  capital.  I 
think  these  people  in  many  points  of  view 
excel  their  more  proud  and  arrogant 
neighbours,  who  nevertheless  affect  to  de- 
spise them.  We  have  seen  what  the  force 
of  British  example  and  discipline,  and  the 
appointment  of  British  officers  to  the  Por- 
tuguese army  have  effected.  From  a  nation, 
heretofore  considered  as  forming  the  very 
dregs  of  Europe,  one  of  the  finest,  best  dis- 
ciplined and  most  formidable  armies  on  the 
Continent  has  been  organised,  which  I  trust 
will  on  some  future  day  convince  their  late 
Gallic  oppressors  that  they  have  only 
"  scotched    the    snake,     not    killed    it." 


PORTUGAL.  109 

Here  then  is  an  instance  of  what  the  na- 
tion is  capable  when  its  power  is  judici- 
ously directed.  May  we  not,  from  analo- 
gy, fairly  suppose  an  equally  beneficial 
result  might  attend  the  cultivation  of  lite- 
rature and  the  arts  in  general  ? 

From  what  I  have  witnessed,  I  should  be 
led  to  believe  that,  were  a  patriotic  mo- 
narch   placed    upon   the    throne   of   this 
country,  possessing  the   real    interests   of 
his   people  at  heart,    much  might  be   ef- 
fected   towards    the  amelioration    of  the 
nation;    by    cultivating,    in    the   first   in- 
stance, the  friendship  of  the   English,  by 
attending   to   works    of  public  utility,  by 
stimulating  the  exertions   of  the  people  in 
the  furtherance    of  arts   and  sciences,  by 
cherishing  literature,  and  by  every  possi- 
ble means  holding  out  for  their  imitation 
those   pursuits    which    have    led    to   the 
crreatness  of  other  nations  ;  and,  above  all, 
by  giving  that  spring  to  industry  by  which 
these  desirable  ends  can  alone  be  accom- 
plished. 

Admitting  that    the   government   were 


110  PORTUGAL. 

thus  to  interest  itself  in  the  welfare  of  the 
nation,  there  can  be  little  doubt,  I  should 
conjecture,  that  the  country  would  ulti- 
mately be  placed  in  a  sitution  very  oppo- 
site to  its  present  degraded  state.  The  dis- 
position of  the  Portuguese  seems  submis- 
sive and  tractable,  equally  susceptible  of  a 
good  or  a  bad  direction,  according  to  the 
nature  of  the  impulse  applied. 

The  great  fault,  I  am  afraid,  lies  in  the 
inherent  defects  of  the  government.  The 
character  of  the  present  reigning  Sovereign 
is  perhaps  too  well  known  to  call  for  a 
detailed  description,  and  the  conduct  of 
those  acting  through  his  orders  partakes 
of  similar  deficiencies.  Under  such  cir- 
cumstances it  is  natural  to  suppose  that  no 
very  great  improvement  can  take  place  ; 
which  indeed  has  been  pretty  clearly 
evinced,  by  the  very  slight  alteration 
which  the  emancipation  of  the  country 
from  French  tyranny  has  occasioned. 

It  must  be  granted,  that  time  and  consi- 
derable attention  are  required  to  effect 
changes  in  a  people   placed   under  their 


PORTUGAL.  1  1  1 

peculiar  disadvantages ;  but,  I  am  con- 
vinced that,  were  a  judicious  reformation 
began  among  those  who  possess  the 
supreme  direction  of  the  nation,  the 
example  must  of  necessity  soon  be  fol- 
lowed throughout  every  ramification  of 
society. 

The  state  of  the  criminal  code  is  cer- 
tainly one  of  the  first  objects  that  should 
be  considered,  because  among  all  their  in- 
stitutions  it  is  the  one  most  eminently  de- 
fective ;  for  it  is  no  uncommon  event  for 
the  innocent  and  the  guilty  to  suffer  alike; 
nay,  the  former  not  unfrequently  have  been 
exposed  to  severe  punishment  when  the 
latter  have  wholly  escaped. 

Their  goals  exhibit  scenes  of  wretched- 
ness and  filth  the  most  repugnant  to  every 
feeling  of  humanity.  No  distinction  in 
the  degree  of  crime  is  observed  among  the 
unfortunate  prisoners,  but  all  are  crowded 
together  in  the  most  loathsome  and  inhu- 
man manner. 

It  is  a  prevailing   notion  of  the   uniu- 


112  PORTUGAL. 

formed  in  this  country  that  no  faith  is  to 
be  kept  with  heretics ;  an  opinion  propa- 
gated by  the  ministers  of  a  religion  pro- 
fessing to  be  Christian,  while  they  thus 
openly  violate,  by  precept  and  example,  the 
most  charitable  and  essential  doctrines  of 
their  great  master  5  it  is  even  supposed  to 
be  a  meritorious  act  to  deprive  a  Protestant 
of  life,  provided  it  be  attended  with  al- 
ledged  advantage  to  their  religion. 

The  use  of  the  stiletto  is  I  believe  much 
less  in  vogue  than  in  former  days,  and  if  a 
due  attention  were  paid  to  the  internal  re- 
gulation of  the  country,  no  doubt  it  would 
soon  altogether  cease. 

With  the  exception  of  one  or  two  large 
towns,  all  the  places  that  we  have  passed 
through  are  in  a  state  of  excessive  pover- 
ty and  desolation;  and  the  few  miserable 
inhabitants  that  remain,  appear  to  continue 
their  residence  more  from  inability  to 
change  than  from  any  advantage  attached 
to  their  homes.  No  persons  of  conse- 
quence live  among  them,  in  whose  service 
they  can    advance  themselves;  and,    thus 


PORTUGAL.  1  IS 

shut  out  from  every  stimulus  to  exertion, 
they  mostly  gain  a  precarious  livelihood 
from  the  occasional  wants  of  travellers  or 
soldiers  accidentally  passing. 

The  French  army  in  its  passage  through 
this  country  has  probably  fully  satiated  its 
predominant   propensity  to   rob,  plunder, 
and   commit  every  sort  of  atrocity  which 
unrestrained   military   power    is    but   too 
prone   to   license.      The   history  of  these 
atrocities     is     almost    unparalleled,     and 
shocks  every  feeling  of  humanity.    During 
their  retreat  they  set  on  fire  cities,  towns, 
and  villages,  and  the  allied  armies  in  the 
course  of  their  pursuit  entered  not  only 
the   beautiful  city  of  Leireira  in   flames, 
but  almost  every  town   and  village  in  the 
line   of  march ;    while   peasants    hanging 
upon    trees,    priests    and    whole   families 
murdered    in    their    houses,    and    others 
lying   dead   by   the   road   side,   exhibited 
dreadful  witnesses  of  the  savage  conduct 
of  their  relentless   invaders.     The  Portu- 
guese on  their  parts  however  have  occa- 
sionally not  been  backward  in  retaliation, 
i 


114  PORTUGAL. 

when  opportunities  occurred  of  revenging 
their  wrongs ;  for  revenge  is  a  feeling  in- 
nately connected  with  the  Portuguese 
character,  which  their  state  of  society  is 
ill  calculated  to  abate.  Upon  the  break- 
ing up  of  the  French  army  from  before 
Lisbon,  when  it  was  closely  pressed  upon 
by  the  allies,  the  first  care  of  those  who 
were  unable  to  keep  up  with  the  retreat- 
ins:  columns  was  to  endeavour  to  fall  into 
the  hands  of  the  British,  whose  name 
they  justly  held  in  estimation  for  genero- 
sity and  forbearance  to  their  enemies ; 
while  they  well  knew  what  they  had  to 
expect,  and  indeed  richly  deserved,  from 
submitting  themselves  to  the  power  of  the 
Portuguese.  The  Portuguese  peasantry 
were  every  where  lying  in  wait  for  those 
unfortunate  stragglers,  many  of  whom  fell 
into  their  hands,  and  deaths  of  the  most 
cruel  kind  were  on  such  occasions  the  in- 
evitable result.  Two  out  of  the  numer- 
ous instances  that  occurred  I  will  relate 
to  you.  During  the  retreat  through  the 
province  of  Beira  some  Frenchmen,  un- 
able to  keep  up,  were  attacked  by  the  in- 


PORTUGAL.  115 

furiated  peasantry  armed  with  long  sticks, 
fire-arms  &c.  who  overpowered  and  cap- 
tured them;  the  mercy  of  instant  death 
Mas  denied,  and  so  good  an  opportunity 
of  satiating  their  revenge  was  not  over- 
looked by  the  Portuguese.  The  prisoners 
were  bound  and  conducted  to  the  summit 
of  the  great  Estrella,  where  they  were  tor- 
tured in  various  ways,  and  ultimately 
stoned  to  death.  On  another  occasion, 
whilst  the  enemy  was  before  our  position 
in  front  of  Lisbon,  a  French  escort  con- 
sisting of  three  dragoons  with  a  female  in 
company,  and  all  mounted,  was  passing 
through  the  village  of  Faya ;  the  armed 
peasants  surrounded  them  in  the  market- 
place and  captured  them.  The  unfortu- 
nate party  supplicated  for  mercy  on  their 
knees,  giving  up  their  money,  clothes  and 
provisions  to  save  their  lives.  Their  re- 
lentless enemies  kept  them  for  a  while 
alive,  deriding  their  miseries,  sporting 
with  the  horrors  of  their  situation,  and 
perpetually  promising  their  lives  as  each 
boon  was  surrendered;  till  at  length,  stript 
i  iked  and  lying  prostrate  before  them, 
1  2 


1 1  V)  PORTUGAL. 

they  actually  beat  out  all  their  brains,  re- 
serving the  woman  as  the  last  sufferer. 
This  revengeful  feeling  was  not  unfre- 
quently  gratified  in  Spain,  but  throughout 
Portugal  it  was  universal,  and  though  to 
be  regretted  certainly  helped  to  further 
the  great  cause.  The  inveteracy  of  the 
peasantry  proved  an  excellent  ally  to  the 
British  general  j  for  the  French  by  then- 
cruelties  unquestionably  worked  against 
themselves  ;  and  according  to  the  establish- 
ed rules  of  retributive  justice,  the  inhuma- 
nities of  which  they  were  guilty  were  thus 
ultimately  visited  upon  their  own  heads. 
Dreadfully  however  as  the  Portuguese  suf- 
fered under  the  tyranny  of  their  late  op- 
pressors, it  would  have  been  better  for 
them  to  have  remained  in  this  lamentable 
situation  than  have  continued  under  the 
imbecile  and  wretched  despotism  of  their 
old  government,  not  improved  or  ameli- 
orated by  experience  of  the  late  striking 
events. 

In  my  professional  capacity  it  has  fallen 
to  my  lot  to   visit  the  poorest  and  most 


PORTUGAL.  117 

distressed  classes;  and  miserable  as  the 
state  of  this  order  of  society  appears  to  be 
upon  a  casual  view  of  it,  it  is  yet  nothing 
when  compared  with  that  which  is  fur- 
nished by  a  more  intimate  acquaintance 
with  its  evils.  Often  destitute  of  hospitals, 
and  without  the  aid  of  medical  men,  the  un- 
fortunate victims  linger  in  the  most  loath, 
some  and  deplorable  state  which  poverty 
and  disease  can  inflict,  and  are  conse- 
quently doomed  to  drag  out  their  miser- 
able existence  a  burthen  to  their  families 
and  to  themselves.  I  found  the  little  as- 
sistance I  was  enabled  to  afford  them  was 
eagerly  sought  and  very  gratefully  ac- 
cepted, and  as  the  intelligence  of  the 
opportunity  of  relief  spread  abroad,  the 
numbers  of  the  afflicted,  and  the  excess 
to  which  their  various  diseases  had  reached 
by  neglect,  astonished  me.  Whenever  I 
met  with  medical  men  I  uniformly  found 
their  science  limited  to  a  degree  which  al- 
most exceeds  belief.  Their  study  is  chief- 
ly confined  to  the  perusal  of  a  few  old 
authors,  whose  practice  among  us  has  be- 
come obsolete;  and  they  have  consequent- 
ly few  conceptions  beyond  the  dogmas  of 


118  PORTUGAL. 

the  latter.  The  surprise  they  evinced  at 
the  surgical  apparatus  of  an  English  medi- 
cal officer,  and  at  the  commonest  opera- 
tions, proved  the  lamentable  state  of  the 
whole  profession  in  Portugal.  The  people 
in  general,  as  well  as  the  medical  practi- 
tioners, are  in  perpetual  terror  of  infec- 
tion, for  they  are  wholly  ignorant  of  its 
nature  and  the  most  common  ways  of  pre- 
venting it.  Even  to  this  day  the  Portu- 
guese cherish  an  invincible  prejudice 
against  the  use  of  mercury,  in  cases  where 
we  know  of  no  other  remedy  to  check 
the  progress  of  disease.  Their  prejudice 
against  vaccination  was  equally  strong, 
but  by  the  interference  of  the  legislature 
it  has  been  introduced;  and  the  arrival  of 
vaccine  matter  from  England  is  occasion- 
ally announced  in  the  Gazette,  and  inocu- 
lation performed  gratuitously. 

Prom  what  I  have  mentioned,  you  have 
probably  by  this  time  a  pretty  just  idea  of 
the  extreme  deficiency  of  this  nation,  in 
every  essential  which  can  tend  to  place  it 
on  a  level  with  the  more  civilized  states  of 
modern  Europe. 


PORTUGAL.  119 


LETTER  X. 


Natural  Productions  and  Beauties  of  the  Country—* 
Moorish  Towers — Abrantes — Aiza — Pass  of  Villa 
Velha — Castel  Branco — Sabugal — Arrival  at  the 
Frontiers. 


Quadrazais,  May,  1813. 

I  he  picture  which  I  have  given  in  my 
last  letter  of  the  Portuguese  is  probably 
extremely  different  from  the  one  which 
you  have  naturally  imbibed  in  England, 
but  it  is  nevertheless  a  true  one.  Let  us 
however  leave  so  disagreeable  a  subject, 
and  proceeding  to  the  more  favourable 
side  of  the  picture,  turn  to  the  numerous 
beauties  every  where  to  be  met  with  in 
journeying  through  this  delightful  coun- 
try. Nature  has  been  lavish  in  the  distri- 
bution of  her  bounties  over  the  face  of  the 


120  PORTUGAL. 

land,  which  every  where  presents  objects 
grateful  to  the  senses.  The  eye  is  pleased 
with  an  infinite  variety  of  verdure  ?nd  fo- 
liage, and  the  wild  and  irregular  forms 
which  she  has  bestowed  upon  the  earth, 
present  romantic  as  well  as  picturesque 
scenery  in  every  direction.  It  would  be 
well  worth  a  botanist's  while  to  make  a 
tour  through  Portugal  in  the  early  spring. 
Many  of  the  finest  plants,  preserved  in  our 
gardens  with  the  nicest  care,  are  here  con- 
sidered of  no  account,  and  constantly  li- 
able to  be  trodden  under  foot  aB  matters 
deserving  no  attention.  When  the  flowers 
are  in  blossom  the  air  is  perfumed  with  a 
variety  of  aromatic  plants,  among  which 
the  heaths  are  most  conspicuous,  and 
grow  for  the  most  part  with  peculiar 
strength  and  luxuriance.  The  geranium, 
and  some  few  others  are  met  with 
only  in  detached  spots,  but  the  arbutus, 
the  gum-cystus  &c.  arc  almost  every 
where  to  be  found  in  great  profusion.  In 
the  country  about  Niza  (which  place  I 
shall  have  occasion  to  mention  to  you  as 
lying   in  our  late   route,)    the   hills   and 


PORTUGAL.  121 

plains  are  covered  with   the  latter  plant, 
growing  very  luxuriantly  and  to  a   great 
height.     The  almond  and  wild  peach-trees 
afford  the  strongest    and  sweetest  scents 
and  the  most  beautiful  blossoms,  far  sur- 
passing those  of  any  other  description  of 
plants,  perfuming  the  air  to  a  great  ex- 
tent.    The  orange,  lemon  and  lime-trees 
produce  also  blossoms  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful description.     In  addition  to  the  com- 
mon acid  lemon  another  sort  is  generally 
to  be  met  with  of  a  sweet  but  rather  vapid 
flavour.     The  oranges   in  like  manner  dif- 
fer very  materially  in   their  qualities,  but 
every   sort  is   more   pleasant   and  whole- 
some   when    eaten    off    the    tree,     than 
when  kept  in  store  for  a  long  time.     With 
this    exception,    and    perhaps    some    few 
others,  I  think  the  generality  of  our  fruits 
are   more  palatable,  especially  the  grape, 
arising  probably  from  the   greater  degree 
of  attention  which  is  paid  to  its  cultiva- 
tion among  us.* 


*  This  observation  must  be  considered  as  applicable 
ily  to  ill'1  grapes  of  the  common  vineyards. 


122  PORTUGAL. 

There  is  very  little  corn  grown  in  Por- 
tugal, and  the  bread  is  generally  very 
bad.  Indian  corn  is  the  most  abundant, 
from  its  answering  so  great  a  variety  of 
purposes.  It  is  made  into  meal  for  bread 
and  cakes,  and  in  other  respects  forms  a 
considerable  article  of  diet.  The  horses 
and  mules  are  also  fed  upon  it,  while  the 
stalks  and  leaves  maintain  the  oxen. 
Mats,  beds  &c.  are  likewise  made  with 
the  straw. — Very  little  grass  is  grown  in 
Portugal,  the  herds  living  chiefly  upon 
the  scanty  pasturage  of  the  mountains. 
Olive-groves  and  vineyards  are  almost 
every  where  common,  oil  and  wine  being ' 
the  principal  articles  of  consumption  and 
exportation. 

In  our  passage  up  the  country  we  met 
with  several  objects  worthy  of  notice. 
Occasional  vestiges  of  the  Mocrs,  and 
sometimes  of  the  Romans,  frequently  ar- 
rested our  attention.  Towers  of  the  for- 
mer construction  are  to  be  easily  distin- 
guished from  those  of  the  latter  by  their 
square  form,  the  others  generally  par- 
taking of  the  circular   figure.     Near  the 


PORTUGAL.  123 

village  of  Arripiado,  three  leagues  from 
Chamusca,  situated  in  the  middle  of  the 
Tagus,  I  observed  a  very  ancient  speci- 
men of  the  former  description.  A  few 
leagues  from  this  place  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  river  stands  the  town  of  Tho- 
mar,  celebrated  for  the  beauty  and  rich- 
ness of  the  country  around  it,  being  in  it- 
self a  small  and  neat  place. 

On  the  second  day  of  our  march  we 
reached  Abrantes,  a  large,  populous,  and 
in  its  general  appearance  an  handsome 
town,  built  on  the  summit  of  a  very  lofty 
hill  over  the  Tagus,  and  commanding 
fine  and  extensive  views.  The  road  to  it 
winds  through  an  interesting  and  roman- 
tic  country.  The  river  is  broad  and  deep 
at  this  place,  and  a  bridge  of  boats  is 
thrown  over  it,  which  communicates  with 
the  town  and  its  extensive  suburbs  on 
either  side.  It  is  by  nature  strong,  and 
art  has  not  been  spared  to  improve  its 
position.  The  best  part  of  the  town  con- 
sists in  an  irregular  open  space  where  the 
market  is  held,  but  the  streets  are  all  nar- 


i24-  PORTUGAL. 

row,  dirty,  and  confined,  and  the  houses  ge- 
nerally bad.  It  forms  a  great  depot  for  the 
army,  which  gives  it  an  appearance  of  live- 
liness and  bustle  otherwise  not  natural  to  it. 

The  next  considerable  town  in  our 
route  is  Niza,  situated  in  a  fine  elevated 
plain,  and  formerly  surrounded  by  a 
strong  Roman  fortification.  It  is  now  in 
bad  repair  and  thinly  peopled.  The  tower 
and  parts  of  the  chambers,  and  the  wall 
of  an  ancient  Roman  castle  are  still  left, 
and  the  remains  of  a  strong  wall  nearly 
surround  the  town.  It  is  a  confined  and 
dirty  place,  and  contains  only  a  few  tole- 
rable houses. 

About  this  neighbourhood  we  found  less 
cultivation  than  in  those  districts  through 
which  we  had  recently  passed,  and  for  a 
time  we  took  our  leave  of  olives,  grapes, 
oranges,  and  almost  every  other  produc- 
tion of  the  soil.  The  wine  here  is  in  con- 
sequence very  bad  and  dear,  being  much 
adulterated  with  water  and  a  strong  ar- 
dent  spirit,  called,   agua   ardiente,  made 


PORTUGAL.  125 

from  the  grape  after  it  has  been  pressed 
for  the  manufacture  of  wine,  and  consti- 
tuting the  brandy  of  the  Portuguese.  This, 
combined  with  the  pitchy  flavor  the  wines 
often  acquire  from  the  pig-skins,  creates 
a  mixture  which  the  stomach  even  of  a 
British  soldier  cannot  bear. 

During  our  march  between  this  place 
and  a  little  wretched  deserted  village 
called  Sarnadas,  we  crossed  the  Tagus  at 
the  celebrated  pass  of  Villa  Velha,  so 
called  from  a  very  neat  little  town  of  that 
name  in  the  neighbourhood.  Our  road 
lay  over  a  barren  and  craggy  range  of 
rocks,  forming  a  constant  succession  of 
hill  and  dale,  till  we  arrived  at  the  edge  of 
the  precipices,  beneath  which  the  Tagus 
winds  its  serpentine  course ;  the  country 
on  the  opposite  side  appearing  verdant, 
woody  and  cultivated.  The  river  has  here 
evidently  forced  its  way  between  a  sierra, 
as  the  former  connection  between  the  two 
sides  may  be  traced  with  the  greatest  ease, 
and  many  similar  instances  occur  in  Por- 
tugal.     The  descent  of  the  above  pass  is 


126  PORTUGAL. 

by  a  very  narrow  and  circuitous  path. 
The  river  is  broad  and  deep  about  this 
place,  and  a  temporary  bridge  of  boats 
has  been  formed  for  the  passage  of  troops. 
The  boats  with  which  the  bridge  was 
made  were  brought  from  Abrantes,  over 
a  country  apparently  impassible  to  any 
sort  of  carriage ;  yet  the  quickness  with 
which  they  were  transported  reflects  the 
highest  credit  upon  those  employed  in  the 
undertaking,  and  forms  one  among  many 
instances  of  the  energy  which  characte- 
rized every  thing  emanating  from  the 
distinguished  chief  in  command.  On  the 
opposite  side  of  the  pass  we  arrived  at 
an  elevation  of  about  equal  height  with 
that  which  we  had  already  descended, 
commanding  a  fine  and  extensive  pros- 
pect from  its  summit.  The  appearance 
of  this  scenery  strongly  reminded  me  of 
the  Severn  and  St.  Vincent's  rocks  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Bristol.  Eagles,  vul- 
tures,   storks,*    and  abundance    of  game 

*  These  birds  are  excessively  numerous  in  Portugal, 
where  as  iu  many  other  countries  thev  receive  a  kind 


PORTUGAL.  127 

are  seen  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Villa 
Velha,  which  is  beautifully  diversified 
with  sloping  hills  covered  with  wood  and 
verdure,  and  backed  by  a  lofty  sierra  of 
rocky  mountains.  Numerous  neatly  white- 
washed houses  interspersed  among  the 
hills,  and  surrounded  by  groves,  imparted 
a  more  cheering  prospect  than  usually  at- 
tends the  great  route  by  which  the  armies 
pass. 

A  few  leagues  from  Villa  Velha  the  po- 
pulous and  thriving  town  of  Castel  Bran- 
co,  occupying  a  strong  position,  stands 
upon  an  eminence  surrounded  by  exten- 
sive suburbs,  and  commanding  a  varie- 
gated and  almost  endless  prospect.  The 
roads  entering  the  town  are  impassable  in 
a  carriage  of  any  kind,  except  a  bullock- 


of  homage  from  the  inhabitants.  Such  is  the  preju- 
dice in  their  favour  that  Lord  Wellington  has  deemed 
it  expedient  in  his  public  orders  to  prohibit  their  being 
molested  by  the  army ;  while  the  natives  on  their  part 
consider  any  outrage  committed  upon  them  as  sacreli- 


128  PORTUGAL. 

car.  The  streets  are  mostly  very  narrow 
and  dirty,  but  it  possesses  a  fine  open 
market-place,  and  the  houses  are  above 
the  ordinary  size.  The  castle  (which  de- 
serves any  thing  but  its  present  appella- 
tion,) is  situated  above  the  town,  sur- 
rounded by  a  strong  wall  and  moat.  It  is 
1  believe  from  its  appearance  of  Saracenic 
origin,  but  no  accurate  account  can  be 
obtained  upon  such  subjects  as  these  from 
the  natives,  as  they  are  generally  too  ig- 
norant to  afford  any  information  upon 
matters  more  remote  than  those  immedi- 
ately relating  to  their  own  times.  Seve- 
ral churches  of  Gothic  architecture  are 
still  to  be  seen  in  this  town,  the  chief  of 
which  is  very  spacious  and  handsome,  and 
adorned  with  some  fine  paintings.  A  very 
elegant  palace  of  red  brick  with  large  gar- 
dens forms  the  residence  of  the  bishop. 
Unfortunately  this  fine  place  became 
during  the  early  periods  of  the  war  the 
seat  of  plunder  and  desolation,  many 
traces  of  which  are  still  visible,  and  among 
others  a  very  valuable  library,  in  common 
with  the  palace  itself,  suffered  materially- 


PORTUGAL.  1S9 

The  fortifications  surround  the  greater 
part  of  the  town,  and  are  furnished 
with  draw-bridges  &c.  though  not  in  the 
best  repair.  The  country  about  this 
neighbourhood  is  better  cultivated  than 
that  which  we  recently  quitted  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Tagus ;  and  a  large 
quantity  of  wine  is  made  in  the  vicinity, 
notwithstanding  the  country  becomes  more 
mountainous,  particularly  approaching  Sa- 
bugal ;  which  town  about  two  years  ago  was 
the  scene  of  a  severe  contest  and  much 
bloodshed.  It  stands  (like  most  of  the 
towns  of  Portugal)  upon  an  eminence,  in 
the  midst  of  an  open  and  hilly  country, 
still  retaining  vestiges  of  ancient  fortifica- 
tions, an  old  ruined  castle,  surrounded  by 
a  very  deep  fosse  and  a  strong  wall.  The 
condition  of  the  town  occasioned  me  great 
disappointment.  Before  you  enter  the 
place  it  wears  the  appearance  of  prospe- 
rity and  comfort ;  but  on  a  nearer  ap- 
proach it  is  found  to  be  a  perfect  ruin, 
nearly  desolate,  poor  beyond  description, 
and  almost  entirely  incapable  of  affording 
accommodations  in  a  sufficient  state  of  re- 

K 


130  rORTUGAL: 

pair  to  prevent  the  rain  (which  when  I  was 
there  was  intense,)  from  pouring  on  one's 
bed  through  the  roof. 

I  have  now  brought  you  nearly  to  the 
frontiers,  and  shall  in  my  succeeding  let- 
ter commence  my  remarks    upon  Spain; 
for  were  I  to  enter  more  at  large  upon  a 
description  of  Portugal  and  its  inhabitants, 
it  would  only  prove  a  recapitulation  of  the 
disgusting,    and     unsatisfactory     account 
which  I  have  already  given  you  of  deso- 
lated and  ruined  houses,  and  an  impover- 
ished   and    miserable    people,    with    the 
means   of  happiness    in   their   possession, 
though  with  a  total    incapacity   to  make 
use  of  the  blessings  and  natural  advantages 
they  possess.     In  the  sketch  I  have  taken 
you  will  perhaps  think  me  too  laconic  ;  but 
to  describe  a  country  like  this,  under  its 
present   circumstances,    must     require    a 
longer  residence  than  I  have  had  among 
the  people,  to  enable  me  to  enter  more 
fully  upon  the  subject. 


SPAIN.  131 


LETTER  XL 


Striking  Distinction  between  Portugal  and  Spain  on 
the  Frontiers — Ciudad  Rodrigo — Retreat  of  the 
En emy — Salama n  ca — Colleges  Sfc . 


Salamanca,  May,  1813. 

1  write  to  you  from  this  celebrated,  beau- 
tiful, and  formerly  flourishing  city,  where 
we  have  been  a  few  days,  and  of  which, 
when  I  have  taken  a  little  more  time  to 
examine  it,  I  shall  be  able  to  give  you  a 
more  perfect  account.  In  the  meanwhile 
let  me  lead  you  back  to  the  frontiers, which 
I  have  so  recently  quitted,  and  over  which 
I  sincerely  hope  never  to  be  obliged  to  re- 
trace my  steps. 

It  is  an  observation  which  I  have  very 
k  2 


132  SPAIN. 

generally  heard  mentioned,  by  every  one 
entering  Spain  directly  from  Portugal,  that 
the  difference  between  the  general  aspect 
of  the  two  countries,  and  the  manners  and 
appearance  of  the  natives,  even  close  to 
their  respective  borders,  is  much  more 
striking  than  it  is  possible  to  imagine;  when 
it  is  considered  that,  the  exact  limits  are  so 
far  from  being  defined  as  to  be  quite  imagin- 
ary. The  roads,  the  houses,  and  the  gene- 
ral features  of  the  country,  all  differ  mate- 
rially in  their  appearance,  with  a  very  ma- 
nifest advantage  in  favour  of  Spain.  The 
inhabitants  of  the  latter  are  much  cleaner, 
better  dressed,  and  altogether  neater  and 
more  industrious,  and  exhibit  greater 
tokens  of  civilization  in  their  domestic 
concerns. 

One  of  the  chief  objects  worthy  of  notice, 
on  entering  the  first  village  across  the 
frontier,  consists  in  the  difference  between 
the  Spanish  and  Portuguese  bread  ;  the 
latter  being  execrable,  and  the  former 
very  fine.  Nature  has  evidently  done 
much  for  the  Spaniards,  and  they  certainly 


SPAIN.  133 


make  a  better  use  of  her  gifts  than  the  Por- 
tuguese. 


The  lower  orders  live  in  small,  comfort- 
able, white-washed  cottages,  and  instead  of 
decayed  and  dirty  old  boarded  floors,  stone 
or  brick  ones  are  substituted,  tending  to 
keep  their  houses  cool,  and  free  from  ver- 
min, which  swarm  in  those  of  the  Portu- 
guese. 

On  all  sides  indications  of  industry  are 
to  be  met  with.  Small  gardens  are  at- 
tached to  every  house  which  can  admit  of 
such  a  convenience,  and  pains  are  taken 
in  their  cultivation,  as  well  as  in  the  care 
of  poultry  and  flocks.  It  is  nevertheless 
true  that  the  country  people  are  not  very 
prosperous ;  on  the  contrary,  much  pover- 
ty reigns  among  them  ;  but  they  have 
energy  "  to  force  the  trade  of  life"  to  a 
degree  very  much  above  their  neighbours, 
and  are  not  sunk  in  despair  like  the  miser^ 
able  peasantry  of  the  Portuguese. 

In  giving  this  decided  preference  to  the 


134  SPAIN. 

Spaniards,  I  must  be  understood  to  em- 
brace objects  merely  relating  to  civilization 
and  the  comforts  of  life.  The  regard 
which  the  Portuguese  entertain  for  the 
English  is  far  from  being  equally  felt  by 
the  Spaniards  ;  for  in  this  point  of  view 
the  Portuguese  greatly  excel  their  neigh- 
bours; and  were  they  to  live  only  a  little 
more  like  civilized  beings  I  should  prefer 
their  character  to  that  of  the  Spaniards. 

The  roads  through  which  we  have 
marched  are  all  excellent,  and  are  capable 
of  being  passed  in  carnages,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  some  bye-roads,  which  are  very 
similar  to  the  stony  lanes  to  be  met  with 
in  some  parts  of  England.  The  royal 
roads  leading  to  this  town  and  thence  to 
Madrid,  Burgos  &c.  are  wide,  smooth, 
and  handsome,  and  scarcely  excelled  by 
any  in  our  own  country;  all  their  roads 
are  flanked,  to  a  considerable  distance 
round  the  town,  with  rows  of  fine  trees, 
which  form  a  great  shelter  from  the  in- 
tense heat  to  which  this  open  part  of  the 
country  is  commonly  exposed. 


SPAIN.  1 35 

I  have  enjoyed  this  last  march  very 
much,  the  weather  having  been  uninter- 
ruptedly clear,  rendering  bivouacking  in 
the  woods  delightful,  and  the  surrounding 
country  much  more  pleasing  to  my  eye 
than  that  to  which  it  had  recently  been 
accustomed. 

The  snow-topped  mountains,  rocks,  ra- 
vines, and  cataracts  have  gradually  disap- 
peared from  our  view  as  we  advanced  into 
Spain,  and  are  succeeded  by  abundance  of 
wood,  rich  pasturage  and  fertile  corn- 
fields, with  no  greater  elevation  of  land 
than  occasionally  a  gentle  slope. 

A  very  elegant  species  of  dwarf- oak, 
with  a  frosted  silvery  appearance,  is  much 
cultivated,  and  forms  by  far  the  greatest 
portion  of  the  wood  about  these  parts. 
The  acorn  they  produce  is  very  delicate  in 
flavor,  and  is  much  used  in  deserts,  and 
forms  a  principal  article  of  food  among 
the  poorer  classes,  being  finer  than  the 
common  species  of  sweet  acorn.  The 
pigs   which  feed   upon  them   are   greatly 


136  SPAIN. 

prized  for  the  delicacy  of  their  flesh.  Firs, 
pines,  poplars,  beech,  walnut-trees  &c. 
are  also  very  common. 

The  first  Spanish  town  of  note  which  we 
passed  was  the  celebrated  Ciudad  Rodrigo. 
It  is  a  very  handsome,  neat  little  city,  built 
upon  a  slight  eminence.  The  streets  for 
the  most  part  are  small  and  narrow,  but 
very  clean,  and  the  houses  in  general  are 
good.  It  has  all  the  appearance  internally 
of  a  thriving  place,  but  its  walls  without 
still  retain  many  vestiges  of  the  dreadful 
convulsions  in  which  it  had  been  recently 
engaged. 

The  churches,  and  other  public  build- 
ings, are  very  elegantly  constructed  ;  and 
the  former  being  ornamented  with  carving 
about  their  porticos,  and  surmounted  with 
domes  and  turrets,  give  an  imposing  and 
pleasing  appearance  to  the  town  ;  while  its 
position,  and  its  strong  fortifications,  must 
ever  render  it  an  important  station  be- 
tween contending  armies,  under  the  cir- 
cumstances attendant  upon  those  recently 
engaged  in  the  Peninsula. 


SPAIN.  137 

The  suburbs  of  Ciudad  Rodrigo  are 
very  extensive,  and  probably  exceed  the 
town  itself  in  magnitude ;  which  added 
very  much  to  the  comforts  of  our  armies 
lying  before  the  town  during  the  sieges. 

Lord  Wellington  honored  this  city  with 
a  visit  on  re-entering  Spain,  and  was  re- 
ceived with  every  demonstration  of  ex- 
ultation and  respect.  He  gave  a  grand 
ball  and  supper  to  the  inhabitants,  and 
amused  them  with  the  ceremony  of  in- 
vesting General  Cole  with  the  Order  of 
the  Bath. 

On  the  day  previous  to  our  entering  Sala- 
manca, three  thousand  of  the  enemy  were 
surprised  by  our  advanced  posts,  who 
charged  them  over  the  bridge,  and  drove 
them  through  the  streets  out  of  the  town; 
and,  following  them  over  the  downs  on  their 
way  to  Burgos,  took  three  hundred  pri- 
soners, and  killed  between  fifty  and  sixty 
men,  principally  by  means  of  the  artillery. 

The  French  General  commanding  (Vil- 


138  SPAIN. 

lette,)  was  leisurely  walking  through  the 
streets  with  his  mistress,  when  the  alarm 
was  given  of  the  approach  of  the  British. 
He  made  his  escape  with  difficulty,  but  the 
lady  and  the  carriage  fell  into  our  hands. 

Curiosity  induced  me  to  follow  the 
tracks  by  which  the  enemy  retired,  and 
while  thus  employed  I  met  with  many  of 
the  bodies  of  the  killed  lying  in  different 
directions,  mangled  most  dreadfully  by 
cannon-shot.  Many  had  been  buried  by 
the  inhabitants  of  a  neighbouring  village, 
ard  those  which  remained  had  become  vic- 
tims to  wolves  and  birds  of  prey. 

On  my  return  I  was  much  surprised  by 
encountering  a  numerous  flock  of  vultures, 
of  a  very  large  size.  They  appeared  to 
have  been  disturbed  by  my  approach,  and 
had  in  consequence  rendezvoused  in  a  re- 
tired and  sheltered  position  under  a  piece 
of  rising  ground,  till  my  departure  afforded 
them  an  opportunity  of  again  regaling  at 
their  ease  upon  their  horrible  repast.  My 
coming  so  suddenly  upon  them  completely 


SPAIN.  139 

deceived  me  as  to  their  nature,  for,  till  they 
arose  into  the  air  (literally  darkening  it  by 
their  numbers,)  I  supposed  them  to  be  an 
herd  of  goats.  Some  Spaniards  informed 
me  that  similar  bands  of  these  depredators 
occasionally  prove  formidable  to  a  solitary 
passenger,  for  that  when  they  are  pressed 
by  hunger  they  are  sometimes  known  to 
attack  him,  and  without  ceremony  devour 
him.  I  leave  you  to  judge  of  the  truth 
of  this,  although  I  do  not  conceive  it  to 
be  altogether  impossible. 

Lord  Wellington  attended  by  his  staff 
and  several  British  and  Spanish  generals, 
with  Castanos,  (the  Generallissimo  of  the 
Spanish  army,)  remained  in  Salamanca  a 
short  time;  during  which  dinners,  balls, 
and  suppers  were  given,  and  the  whole 
party  appeared  one  evening  at  the  theatre. 

The  morning  after  the  French  had  been 
driven  away  a  grand  c  Te  Deum'  was  per- 
formed at  the  cathedral;  which  was  at- 
tended by  Lord  Wellington,  the  generals 
&c.  and  produced  a  very  interesting  effect. 


140  SPAIN. 

This  cathedral  is  usually  considered  as 
one  of  the  first  in  Spain.  It  is  built  of  a 
kind  of  white  freestone,  surmounted  with 
elegant  turrets,  bastions,  arches,  and  a 
large  dome,  and  adorned  with  a  profusion 
of  carving  and  varieties  of  fancy-work, 
scriptural  histories  &c.  in  a  most  rich  and 
elaborate  style.  It  is  a  very  lofty  and  spa- 
cious edifice,  standing  in  an  open  square, 
surrounded  by  railing.  Its  external  beau- 
ties exceed  those  of  its  interior,  though 
the  latter  is  very  superior  when  compared 
with  most  others.  The  grand  altar  is  very 
magnificent*  opposite  to  which  stands  the 
chancel,  greatly  resembling  those  in  our 
cathedrals.  These  are  surrounded  by  a 
screen  of  stone-work  exquisitely  carved. 
The  edifice  contains  two  organs  in  the 
gallery,  one  of  which  is  remarkable  for  its 
size  and  superior  tone.  The  church  also, 
fromi  ts  munificent  endowments,  is  able  to 
maintain  a  very  superior  band  of  singers 
from  Italy.  This  venerable  building  was 
lately  threatened  with  destruction  by  their 
late  barbarous  invaders.  Some  of  the  usu- 
ally levied  contributions  could  not  (from  a 


SPAIN*.  141 

total  deficiency  of  means)  be  discharged, 
and  the  French  general  in  consequence 
threatened  by  way  of  intimidation  to  de- 
stroy the  cathedral,  unless  his  unreasonable 
demands  were  complied  with.  The  reply 
returned  was — that,  as  it  was  public  pro- 
perty, it  did  not  effect  the  personal  inte- 
rests of  individuals  like  their  other  exorbi- 
tant levies,  and  that  therefore  no  one 
would  interfere ;  the  arrival  however  of 
the  English  prevented  the  accomplishment 
of  this  tyrannical  threat  of  the  French 
general,  if  indeed  it  were  ever  seriously 
intended  to  be  put  into  execution. 

The  situation  of  Salamanca  for  so  large 
and  populous  a  city  commands  many  ad- 
vantages, and  in  whatever  point  of  view 
it  is  taken,  it  wears  the  appearance  of  an 
handsome  and  flourishing  town.  The  Tor- 
mes,  which  is  a  clear  and  wide  river,  but 
in  many  places  very  shallow,  winds  round 
two-thirds  of  the  town,  while  the  elevation 
of  the  western  part  of  the  city  from  its 
banks  renders  it  an  airy  and  very  healthy 
place.     An  excellent  light  red  wine  called 


142  SPAIN. 

4  vino  de  Tonnes'  is  made  on  the  banks 
of  this  river.       Vines  are  not  cultivated 
in   the   immediate  vicinity  of  Salamanca, 
the  land  being  chiefly  dedicated   in  these 
parts   to    corn.     The    natural   position   of 
Salamanca  is  strong,  and  some  pains  have 
been  taken  to  secure   it  by  a  substantial 
wall  built  around  it,  which  in  its  most  ex- 
posed situation  is  flanked  by  a  strong  bas- 
tion.    The  streets  for   the  most  part  are 
narrow,    but    the   houses     are  very   lofty 
and  generally  pretty  good.     Some  of  the 
former  are  well  paved,  and  kept  tolerably 
clean.     From  the  abundance   of  shops  of 
all  descriptions  a  great  retail  trade  is  appa- 
rently carrying  on.    The  city  contains  also 
a  very  well  supplied  market,  which  is  held 
in   an   open   space   where    the    municipal 
house  is  erected.      The   principal  square 
forms  one  of  the  handsomest  I  have  seen 
in  Spain,  the  houses  being  constructed  of 
white  stone,  built  very  high,  with  great  re- 
gularity, and  supplied  with  balconies  and 
large    green    virandas     to    the   windows, 
which  add  much  to  the  liveliness  of  their 
appearance.     Piazzas  are  erected  over  the 


spa  ix.  143 

broad  pavement  round  the  square,  form- 
ing the  great  resort  of  fashionable  society, 
when  the  weather  will  not  permit  prome- 
nading round  the  '  Prado  del  Toro,'  situ- 
ated without  the  eastern  walls  of  the  town. 
Varieties  of  shops,  excellent  coffee-houses, 
billiard-rooms  &c.  are  to  be  met  with  un- 
der these   piazzas,  which    may  be    consi- 
dered as  forming  the  Bond-street  of  Sala- 
manca.    The   general   appearance   of  the 
city,  and  the  number  of  large   and  hand- 
some houses   which  are  seen  in  different 
parts,  might  lead  to  the  supposition  of  its 
being  very   rich  and   well  peopled.     But 
'his   is  far  from  being  the  case,  for  on  a 
closer  inspection  it  is  found  to  be  extreme- 
ly deficient,  and  indeed   scarcely  amounts 
to  a  third  of  its  former  wealth,  and  popula- 
tion.    The  inhabitants  have  become  great- 
iv   impoverished,  and   the   owners   of  the 
principal  residences  have  either  absolutely 
left  the  country  altogether,  and  followed 
the  fortunes  of  Joseph  Buonaparte,  or  have 
removed  to  other  towns  of  greater  safety, 
such  as  Valladolid  &c.  so  that  few  people 
of  the  higher  ranks  of  society  are  now  re- 
sident in  the  place. 


144-  SPAIN. 

The  towns-people  are  in  general  hospi- 
table and  communicative.  They  have 
their  '  tertulias,'  or  evening  assemblies, 
when  they  converse,  play  cards,  dance  or 
sing ;  and  they  also  pretty  constantly  fre- 
quent the  theatre,  which  is  a  light  and 
elegant  Luilding  and  fitted  up  somewhat  in 
the  style  of  the  Opera-house  in  London, 
though  very  inferior  with  respect  to  size, 
while  the  actors  and  performances  are  be- 
low mediocrity.  The  present  appearance 
of  the  town  excites  many  melancholy  re- 
flections, when  contrasted  with  the  ac- 
counts which  we  have  been  accustomed  to 
receive  of  its  former  magnificence,  and 
high  reputation  as  a  seat  of  learning. 
Neither  Oxford,  nor  Cambridge,  I  am  con- 
vinced, from  the  appearance  of  the  col- 
leges (the  walls  of  which  are  still  stand- 
ing,) equal  in  any  point  of  view  what  this 
once  flourishing  town  exhibited  in  better 
days.  Perhaps  you  will  not  think  me 
guilty  of  exaggeration,  when  I  tell  you 
that  there  are  still  the  remains  of  nine- 
teen splendid  colleges,  built  of  an  hand- 
some white  stone,  most  elaborately  and 
classically  ornamented,  forming  once   one 


SPAIN.  145 

of  the  chief  repositories  of  ancient  litera 
ture,  which  subsequently  enlightened  mo- 
dern Europe.  Several  of  these  colleges 
were  dedicated  entirely  to  Irish  students, 
numbers  of  whom  are  to  be  met  with  in 
the  church,  the  army,  and  various  other 
departments  of  the  state,  who  have  now 
become  naturalized,  and  constitute  perhaps 
the  best  informed  part  of  the  community. 

The  chief  aim  of  the  French,  during 
their  residence  in  this  country,  appears  to 
have  been  the  annihilation  of  the  govern- 
ment of  Spain,  (of  which  they  hoped  to 
have  obtained  the  entire  controul),  by  in- 
troducing an  alteration  in  the  manners  and 
customs  of  the  people  more  congenial 
with  their  own  views  ;  pursuing,  in  this  re- 
spect, a  very  opposite  policy  from  that 
which  they  practised  in  Portugal  ;  that, 
being  a  country  over  which  they  could 
scarcely  ever  hope  to  reign  with  unlimited 
sway,  was  treated  more  in  the  light  of  a 
conquered  kingdom,  and  rapine  and  devas- 
tation were  committed  wherever  they 
went.     Thus,  in  the  former  instance,  every 

L 


1 46  BfrAItf . 

old  establishment  was  destroyed;  and,  while 
they  secured  the  King  and  frightened  the 
government  into  obedience,  they  annihi- 
lated the  influence  of  the  priests,  and  abo- 
lished all  religious  and  learned  institutions 
with  remorseless  rigour.  Those  walls  which, 
during  the  prosperous  days  of  Spain,  con- 
tained all  that  is  estimable  in  science  and 
literature,  are  now  converted  into  recepta- 
cles for  the  passing  armies,  alternately 
preying  upon  the  vitals  of  the  country. 

What  a  lesson  has  Spain  been  taught; 
what  a  check  given  to  the  pride  of  a  peo- 
ple, once  the  first  in  the  world,  and  now 
sunk  into  poverty  and  meanness  !  And 
yet,  how  has  this  lesson  been  thrown  away! 
For,  to  hear  a  Spaniard  talk,  and  to  read 
the  manifestos  which  are  from  time  to 
time  published,  it  would  appear  that  Spain 
is  now  in  the  very  zenith  of  its  glory,  and 
that  the  chivalrous  high-mindedness  of  for- 
mer days  still  existed  with  undiminished 
lustre.  But,  it  is  lamentable  to  remark, 
that  pride,  selfishness,  and  what  may  be 
called  the  vices  only  of  those   illustrious 


SPAIN.  147 

times,  are  all  that  remain  to  the  once  lofty 
and  dignified  character  of  the  Spanish  na- 
tion. Conscious  of  what  they  have  been, 
the  Spaniards  are  content  to  live  upon 
their  former  reputation,  retaining  all  their 
ancient  pride  without  an  atom  of  their  for- 
mer merit. 

In  addition  to  the  ruined  colleges,  the 
town  contains  several  convents  and  mo- 
nasteries equally  spacious  and  magnificent, 
one  or  two  of  which  are  still  in  a  sufficient- 
ly good  repair  to  afford  an  asylum  to  a  few 
religious  and  decayed  orders. 


X2 


]  48  SPAIN. 


LETTER  XII. 


Fine  Appearance  and  Healthy  State  of  the  Army— 
A  Spanish  Review — Plains  of  Salamanca — Excel- 
lence of  the  Spanish  Corn  and  Bread. 


Salamanca,  May,  1813. 

We  have  been  in  daily  expectation  of  an 
order  to  march,  having  understood  that 
there  is  no  probability  of  our  halting  before 
the  army  reaches  Burgos,  where  it  is  gene- 
rally supposed  the  chief  struggle  will  take 
place.  The  experience  of  the  last  year  at 
this  position  has  probably  given  the  enemy 
more  confident  hopes  and  expectations 
than  appear  likely  to  be  realized. 

So  far  as  I  can  judge,  from  the  very  slen- 
der military  knowledge  which   my  limited 


SPAIN.  149 

means  of  observation  afford,  no  army  ever 
sat  o"ut  in  finer  condition  than  ours  on  this 
occasion.  It  is  exceedingly  healthy,  and 
has  had  time  to  refresh  itself;  while  the 
unfortunate  check  it  met  with  last  year 
seems  to  have  redoubled  its  ardor  and 
confidence,  instead  of  producing  an  oppo- 
site effect. 

The  infantry  are  well  provided  with  tents 
in  the  present  campaign ;  which  so  greatly 
adds  to  the  health  and  comfort  of  the  sol- 
dier, that  it  must  necessarily  prove  a  pow- 
erful assistance  in  preserving  the  strength 
of  every  regiment  that,  in  former  cam- 
paigns, was  so  greatly  reduced  by  sickness, 
fatigue,  and  extreme  exposure  to  the  wea- 
ther. In  addition  to  this  may  be  added 
the  sense  that  government  now  entertains 
of  the  necessity  of  considerably  reinforcing 
this  army;  and  that  the  Spaniards  seem  at 
last  to  be  alive  to  the  policy  of  adequately 
meeting  the  present  emergency;  though,  I 
must  say,  with  regard  to  the  latter  acquisi- 
tion, it  is  generally  considered  as  a  con- 
soling reflection,  that,  in  case  of  accidents,  we. 


150  SPAIN. 

can  do  without  their  assistance.  With  the 
Portuguese  army  every  one  appears  highly 
satisfied;  but  the  general  appearance  of 
the  Spanish  forces  is  by  no  means  prepos- 
sessing. Falstaff's  troops  which  he  was 
ashamed  to  conduct  through  Coventry 
form  a  tolerably  fair  picture  of  most  of 
their  corps. 

I  had  the  curiosity  to  mingle  with  the 
admiring  crowd  yesterday  assembled  with- 
out the  walls,  to  witness  a  Spanish  review 
by  Castanos.  The  Generalissimo,  gorge- 
ously arrayed,  was  mounted  upon  a  black 
Andalusian  horse,  in  a  full  suite  of  white 
laced  regimentals,  surrounded  by  his  staff 
in  blue  uniforms,  and  escorted  by  a  troop 
of  Royal  Lancers  clothed  in  yellow. 
There  were  from  five  to  six  thousand  men 
upon  the  ground.  An  inspection  of  ne- 
cessaries formed  one  part  of  the  ceremony, 
of  which,  from  motives  of  curiosity  alone,  I 
wished  to  be  a  spectator.  Had  the  men 
all  been  marched  through  Monmouth- 
street,  in  order  that  every  one  might  suit 
himself  according  to  his  taste,  it  is  hardly 


SPAIN.  151 

possible  to  suppose  a  selection  more  ridi- 
culously happy,  than  the  assemblage  I  then 
witnessed,  as  to  shape,  colour,  and  quality. 

I  remember  once  hearing  a  story  of  the 
commandant  of  an  Irish  corps  of  volun- 
teers, who,  after  appointing  a  parade  for  in- 
specting the  clothing  of  his  regiment,  or- 
dered that  those  who  possessed  shirts  and 
breeches  should  form  the  front  rank,  those 
with  breeches  and  no  shirts  the  centre, 
and  those  without  either  the  rear ;  but  I 
believe  it  would  have  puzzled  the  Irish  co- 
lonel to  muster  any  other  rank,  throughout 
the  whole  of  this  very  picturesque  review, 
than  the  last  mentioned. 

Notwithstanding  the  great  deficiency  of 
appointment  and  discipline  in  this  army, 
the  men  are  naturally  fine  looking  fellows, 
and  if  well  organized,  clothed,  and  offi- 
cered, would  no  doubt  prove  a  formidable 
force. 

The  officers  in  general  are  wretched  and 
miserable  in  their  appearance,  their  dress 


152  SPAIN. 

is  not  often  better  than  that  of  the  men, 
and  equally  irregular  and  unmilitary.  I 
have  often  seen  them  eating  and  drinking, 
and  conversing  familiarly  with  the  pri- 
vates ;  and  it  is  not  unusual  to  meet  an 
officer  riding,  in  good  fellowship,  with  one 
of  them  upon  the  same  mule,  the  animal 
bearing  the  personal  baggage  of  his  two 
riders,  rarely  equalling  the  scanty  allow- 
ance even  of  the  Honorable  Mr.  Dowlas 
in  the  '  Heir  at  Law/ 

Our  stay  at  this  place  has  given  me  time 
to  wander  about  its  vicinities,  and  I  was 
much  interested  the  other  day  on  being 
shewn,  by  an  officer  who  was  present  in  the 
battle,  the  different  positions  of  the  two 
armies  engaged  last  year  upon  these  me- 
morable plains.  The  view  of  the  engage- 
ment from  the  heights  near  the  town  must 
have  been  very  grand  and  striking,  as  it 
comprehended,  from  the  great  expanse  of 
country,  the  whole  extent  of  the  positions 
of  the  contending  armies.  The  field  of 
battle  retains  no  apparent  vestiges  of  this 
great  engagement,  as  it   is   now  entirely 


SPAIN.  153 

covered   with   corn,  in    which  the  whole 
country  abounds.     This,  among  numerous 
other  instances,  shows  the  great  fertility 
of  the  soil ;  for  no  pains  were  spared  by 
the    enemy    to    prevent    the    re-growth 
of  the    corn.      The    wheat    grown    here 
is  remarkable  for  its  height,  and  is  gene- 
rally of  a  very  fine  quality,  far  exceeding 
what  I  have  ever  seen  before.     The  bread 
made  from  it  is  peculiar,  somewhat  in  sub- 
stance between  biscuit  and  cake,  eats  very 
short,  and  is  close  in  its  texture.    It  is  sold 
in  great  abundance  in  the  market-places, 
in  all  kinds  of  shapes,  and  keeps  good  a 
much  longer  time  than  any  other  bread  I 
have  ever  tasted.     In  corn  provinces  it  is 
exceedingly   cheap,  though  very    dear  in 
those  parts  where  corn  does  not  form  the 
stable  commodity.  You  may  not  perhaps  be 
aware  that  in  Portugal  and  Spain  they  do 
not  use  barm  in  making  their  bread,  but 
leven,  which,  while  it  binds  the  bread  to  a 
close  texture,  by  no  means  creates  heavi- 
ness.     Rye    is    mixed    occasionally   in  a 
greater  or  less  degree  with  the  wheat,  and 
forms  an  inferior  kind  of  bread,  liable  quick- 
ly to  become  assescent  and  unwholesome. 


154  SPAIN. 


LETTER  XIII. 


Concert f ration  of  the  Army  at  Palencia — Description 
of  that  City — Convent  of  the  Franciscans,  and 
Murder  of  the  Monks — Aspect  of  the  surrounding 
Country — Advance  from  Salamanca — Fording  the 
Douro — Toro. 


Palencia,  June,  1813. 

An  order  suddenly  arriving  for  the  bri- 
gade to  move  on  obliged  me  to  finish  my 
last  letter  abruptly.  Our  course  has  been 
along  the  road  to  Burgos,  which  being  a 
'  camino  real,'  or  royal  road,  was,  as  usual, 
in  very  excellent  order. 

We  marched  into  this  town  about  two 
o'clock  to-day j  and  the  confusion,  occa- 
sioned by  the  whole  army  concentrating  at 


SPAIN.  155 

this  place,  has  hurried  my  ideas  to  a  de- 
gree from  which  they  are  scarcely  yet  re- 
covered; bui,  as  we  expect  to  move  on  to- 
morrow, I  am  desirous  to  finish  this  letter 
before  I  retire  to  rest.  A  large  force  of  the 
enemy  recently  occupied  the  town,  where 
their  head-quarters  were  established,  and 
which  were  removed  by  the  flight  only  of 
King  Joseph,  so  late  as  yesterday  evening 
at  live  o'clock,  and  some  of  their  cavalry 
even  did  not  get  clear  of  the  town  till 
twelve  o'clock  this  morning.  The  people 
appear  to  be  unfeignedly  rejoiced  at  our 
arrival,  as  the  enemy,  during  their  stay, 
kept  them  in  great  awe  and  fear;  and  they 
have  in  this  short  interval  been  much  busied 
in  opening  their  shops  and  stores,  where 
wines  &c.  were  concealed,  for  the  accom- 
modation of  our  troops  ;  a  precaution  very 
necessary,  for  had  the  French  soldiers  dis- 
covered those  hordes,  they  would  inevitably 
have  seized  them  by  force,  and  applied 
them  to  their  own  purposes,  without  trou- 
bling themselves  to  remunerate  the  unfor- 
tunate owners. 


IJ'S  SPAIN. 

As  it  was  expected  that  the  enemy 
would  make  a  stand  at  this  place,  the  three 
great  divisions  of  the  army  concentrated 
around  the  town,  part  of  the  cavalry  and 
the  staff  being  quartered  within  its  walls, 
and  the  rest  encamped  on  the  plains 
around. 

The  day  was  very  fine,  which,  together 
with  the  extent  and  openness  of  the  coun- 
try, presented  a  very  grand  and  pleasing 
prospect,  rendered  more  interesting  from 
the  liveliness  occasioned  by  the  arrival  of 
the  combined  armies.  The  concourse  of 
mules,  carrying  the  baggage  of  the  army, 
and  the  various  camp  followers,  occupied 
more  than  treble  the  space  of  the  army  it- 
self, and  presented  a  moving  scene  so  far 
as  the  eve  could  reach  on  all  sides.  The 
town  is  large,  but  it  has  a  shabby  look  and 
an  air  of  poverty,  though  when  viewed 
from  a  distance  it  assumes  a  fine  appear- 
ance. 

It  has  a  large  cathedral  church,  which, 
though  plain  in  its  external  appearance,  is 


SPAIN.  157 

nevertheless  very  handsomely  and  elabo- 
rately ornamented  on  the  inside;  the  city 
contains  also  several  convents,  which  have 
escaped  injury,  inhabited  by  nuns  ;  these 
buildings  are  spacious,  but  their  establish- 
ments are  very  poor. 

Near  the  skirts  of  the  town,  aud  occupy- 
ing a  space  little  less  than  that  of  the  town 
itself,  stand  the  remains  of  the  once  mag- 
nificent, and  wealthy  convent  of  Saint 
Francisco  ;  which,  about  six  years  ago,  at- 
tracted the  jealousy  and  cupidity  of  Buona- 
parte, who  wras  unwilling  to  suffer  an  order 
so  rich  and  powerful  to  exist ;  and  accord- 
ingly, not  content  with  ruining  the  splen- 
did establishment,  caused  eighteen  unfor- 
tunate friars  to  be  surrounded,  and  put  to 
death  in  the  cloisters.  A  lay-brother,  a 
venerable  old  man,  who  was  under-libra- 
rian  to  the  house,  and  who  still  remains  in 
charge  of  the  little  property  left  by  the 
plunderers,  related  to  me,  with  tears  in  his 
eyes,  and  a  just  expression  of  indignation, 
the  account  of  this  cruel  murder,  of  which 
he  himself  was  a  melancholy  witness. 


!  5S  SPAIN. 

If  a  monastic  life  can  possess  any  charms, 
they  certainly  must  be  found  in  such  a 
convent  as  the  one  I  am  now  describing. 
Whatever  may  have  been  the  self  denial  of 
its  occupiers  at  particular  times  and  occa- 
sions, the  leading  system  bears  no  traces  of 
abstinence  and  mortification,  but  rather 
resembles  that  of  the  palace  of  Epicurus 
himself. 

A  large  proportion  of  the  convent  still 
remains,  in  spite  of  the  devastations  it  has 
sustained.  Remnants  of  costly  furniture, 
and  beds,  somewhat  less  hard  than  those  I 
remember  to  have  seen  in  a  convent  in 
Dorsetshire,  which  was  inhabited  by  monks 
of  the  order  of  Le  Trappe,  are  still  in  ex- 
istence, remaining  in  every  quarter  of  the 
building.  The  establishment  appears  for- 
merly to  have  included  an  extensive  li- 
brary, most  of  the  books  belonging  to 
which  have  been  recently  carried  away,  the 
remainder  lying  about  the  rooms  without 
order  and  in  confused  heaps.  The  offices 
are  spacious  and  convenient,  and  the  halls, 
refectory,  and  chapel   bespeak  the  former 


SPAIN.  159 

splendor  of  the  institution.  I  have  uni- 
formly found,  on  our  advance  from  Sala- 
manca, that  the  population  of  the  country 
increases.  The  district  about  Palencia  is 
extensive  and  well  peopled,  villages  are 
seen  in  all  directions,  and  they  are  for  the 
most  part  very  thickly  inhabited;  which  is 
far  from  being  the  case  nearer  the  Portu- 
guese frontiers.  The  country  we  are  now 
in  is  open,  very  much  exposed,  and  fur- 
nished with  little  wood,  though  abounding 
with  corn  of  every  description.  A  small 
quantity  of  wine  is  also  made  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood. I  was  informed  by  the  inha- 
bitants that  the  French  officers  went  off  in 
full  confidence  of  a  speedy  return  ;  that 
they  said,  we  should  remain  there  a  short 
time,  and  drink  the  favourite  English  be- 
verage rum,  and  then  very  shortly  take  our 
departure  to  the  rear  again.  I  think,  how- 
ever, that  they  are  mistaken,  for  the  prob- 
ability is  that  they  are  not  likely  to  see  this 
place  again,  unless  as  prisoners.  I  am 
afraid  you  will  think,  while  I  am  dwell- 
ing upon  this  town,  that  I  am  perhaps  for- 
getting those  which  we  must  necessarily 


160  SPAIN. 

have  passed  through  upon  our  route  from 
Salamanca j  after  quitting  which,  we  occa- 
sionally halted  among  line  woods  and  small 
villages.  The  most  interesting  military 
movement  which  occurred  upon  our  march 
was  the  fording  of  the  river  Douro,  under 
the  walls  of  Toro.  The  city  of  Toro  is  to 
all  appearance  by  nature  impregnably  for- 
tified on  the  western  side,  and  certainly  not 
deficient  in  defence  on  every  other,  the 
whole  being  surrounded  by  an  exceeding- 
ly strong  and  high  wall. 

The  enemy  a  few  days  since  destroyed 
the  bridge,  which,  as  they  supposed,  must 
secure  them  from  our  pursuit;  and  their 
astonishment  could  have  been  scarcely 
greater  than  our  own,  upon  finding  the 
many  advantages  which  the  city  possessed 
no  barrier  to  the  progress  of  the  allied 
forces;  these  formidable  means  of  opposi- 
tion proving  a  very  slight  obstacle  only  to 
the  advancing  army ;  for  the  enemy's  right 
and  left  being  quickly  turned  in  succession, 
they  were  compelled  instantly  to  retire 
before    the    overwhelming    force    of  the 


SPAIN.  161 

combined  army.    The  river  at  this  place  is 
very  deep,  and  flows  with  a  rapid  stream, 
the  force  of  which  is   increased  by  a  cir- 
cuitous course.     A  little  below  the  bridge 
is  a  fordable  passage  for  cavalry,  the  im- 
mense body  of  which  passing  at  one  time 
assisted  greatly  to  stem  the  torrent,  though 
it  forced  them  to  pursue  a  diagonal  rather 
than  a  direct  course.     A  small  proportion 
only  of  the  horses  could  keep  their  legs, 
the  rest  being  obliged  absolutely  to  swim 
through  the  torrent.    Other  portions  of  the 
army  crossed  the  Ezla ;  and  these  fordings 
proved  fatal  to  many,  though  not  perhaps 
to  the  degree  which  might  reasonably  have 
been  expected,  from  the  difficulties  attend- 
ing  this   passage.     The   city  of   Toro  is 
small,  but   neat,  handsome,  and  compact, 
and  its  appearance   when  viewed  from  a 
distance  is  very  imposing.     From  the  spot 
on   which  the   bridge   lately   stood,     and 
which  is  again  erecting,  a  wide  and  excel- 
lently gravelled  road  runs  in  a  serpentine 
course  to  the  summit  of  a  very  lofty  pre- 
cipice, on  the  scite  of  which  the  city  stands; 
from  which  all  in  front  is  a  flat,  verdant  and 

M 


1 62  SPAIN. 

quite  level  country,  abounding  in  villages-, 
while  on  the  opposite  side  the  view  is  be- 
yond conception  fine  and  extensive,  owing 
to  its  being  a  very  open  and  champagne 
country. 

In  the  course  of  our  progress  we  were 
quartered  in  the  ruins  of  the  convent  of 
Saint  Espinos.  This  building,  though  in  a 
ruined  state,  still  bears  many  marks  of  an- 
cient magnificence.  The  neighbouring 
lands  which  formerly  belonged  to  it  are  very 
beautiful,  rich,  and  extensive. 

It  certainly  appears,  upon  a  cursory  view, 
very  lamentable  to  see  so  many  fine  esta- 
blishments become  a  prey  to  the  existing 
state  of  rapine  and  disorder ;  though  I  am 
inclined  to  believe  that  the  benefit  arising 
to  Spain,  from  its  present  disastrous  situa- 
tion, may  hereafter  prove  of  essential  ser- 
vice to  the  country. 


SPAIN.  163 


LETTER  XIV- 


Rapid  Progress  of  the  Campaign — General  View  of 
the  Country — Pass  of  San  Martino — Romantic 
Country  beyond  the  Ebro — Battle  of  Vitoria. 


Salvatierra,  June,  1815. 

Our  advance  has  been  so  rapid,  that  little 
time  has  been  allowed  for  observation; 
though,  since  I  wrote  to  you  from  Palen- 
cia,  a  detail  of  the  leading  features  of  our 
progress  may  not  be  uninteresting. 

With  the  events  that  have  recently  oc- 
curred, you  will  probably  have  been  made 
acquainted  before  the  receipt  of  this  let- 
ter, which  I  am  sure  must  occasion  you 
the  most  joyful  sensations. 
m  2 


1 64  SPAItf . 

On  the  21st  of  May  the  army  had  not 
advanced  beyond  the  frontier,  the  enemy 
occupying  all  the  strong  holds  of  the  «  oun- 
try.  On  the  21st  of  the  following  month 
the  enemy  was  beaten  and  routed,  almost 
as  it  should  seem  by  magic,  and  driven  to 
the  pyrenees. 

Perhaps  in  no  period  of  history  have  so 
many  important,  and  unlooked-for  events 
been  crowded  into  so  short  a  space  of 
time. 

My  hopes  of  seeing  Burgos  have  been 
frustrated,  as  the  news  of  the  French  ex- 
ploding the  citadel  and  retiring,  arriving 
while  we  were  approaching  towards  the 
place,  caused  our  course  to  be  turned 
more  directly  northward,  through  a  coun- 
try unknown  hitherto  to  British  troops. 

Every  step  we  have  advanced  has 
brought  daily  into  view  a  more  mountain- 
ous country ;  the  roads  however  for  the 
most  part  are  very  good,  and  the  country 
generally  fertile,  while    the   innumerable 


spain.  1 65 

villages  scattered  throughout  the  provin- 
ce ,  manifest  &  larger  proportion  of  popu- 
lation; than  could  have  been  expected  (in 
tLe  present  distracted  state  of  the  coun- 
try) to  exist. 

Cultivation  appears  to  be  carried  to  a 
considerable  height,  though  it  falls  very 
short  of  that  practiced  in  England. 

The  inhabitants  of  those  places  through 
which  we  have  passed,  regarded  our  ap- 
proach with  a  greater  degree  of  enthusi- 
asm and  curiosity,  than  I  had  observed  in 
more  southern  districts;  where  the  novelty 
of  our  appearance,  from  our  long  residence 
in  the  country,  had  lost  much  of  its 
charms.  In  the  course  of  our  present 
march  the  people  assembled  in  crowds, 
and  hailed  us  with  shouts  of  joy,  spoke 
much  of  the  tyranny  and  oppression  of 
the  French  army,  and  acquainted  us  with 
many  anecdotes  respecting  the  enemy, 
which  evinced  the  total  disregard  of  the 
latter  of  every  moral  feeling  and  prin- 
ciple. 


166  SPAIN. 

We  have  perceived  a  very  sensible  alter- 
ation in  the  climate,  during  our  advance 
from  Salamanca  to  this  place  ;  and  have 
uniformly  observed,  that  it  approaches 
nearer  to  the  standard  of  England  in  its 
usual  degree  of  temperature  than  we  could 
have  previously  supposed.  When  howe- 
ver the  sun  shines  in  its  full  force,  the  heat 
is  certainly  more  intense  than  is  usual  in 
the  hottest  weather  in  England.  The 
mountainous  nature  of  the  land,  and  its 
approximation  to  the  pyrenees  and  the 
sea,  may  account  for  the  frequent  altera- 
tions of  temperature. 

These  sudden  variations  produce  a  very 
decided  effect  upon  vegetation,  particu- 
larly upon  corn  and  vines,  when  contrast- 
ed with  the  same  productions  in  the  more 
southern  parts. 

Should  Spain  be  finally  liberated  from 
the  oppressors  by  whom  she  has  lately 
been  visited,  (of  which  I  indeed  entertain 
very  little  doubt,)  the  people  in  the  north- 
ern provinces,  who  are  by  no  means  sloth- 


SPAIN.  167 

ful  and  disinclined  to  industry,  may  soon 
recover  from  the  heavy  losses  they  have 
sustained ;  for  this  part  of  the  country, 
like  many  of  the  other  portions  of  Spain, 
enjoys  great  facility  of  communication 
with  the  sea,  together  with  a  variety  of 
advantages  peculiar  to  the  nation  at  large. 

Upon  the  15th  of  June  we  crossed  the 
Ebro,  and  at  the  pass  of  San  Martino  en- 
tered what  Buonaparte's  aggrandizing  sys- 
tem chose  to  hold  out  as  annexed  for  ever 
to  France,  thereby  rendering  this  river, 
instead  of  the  pyrenees,  the  boundary  be- 
tween the  two  countries. 

There  is  something  so  striking  in  this 
pass,  that  I  must  endeavour  to  give  you  an 
account  of  it ;  though  I  sincerely  regret 
my  want  of  graphic  power  to  furnish  you 
with  a  drawing,  in  addition  to  the  very  im- 
perfect notion  which  language  can  convey 
of  its  singularity  and  sublimity.  After  a 
long  and  fatiguing  march,  through  a  bar- 
ren, rocky,  and  uninteresting  country, 
over  a  rough  stony  road,    from  the  early 


168  SPAW. 

part  of  the  morning  till  late  in  the  even- 
ing, we  arrived  at  the  edge  of  a  tremend- 
ous precipice,  extending  right  and  left 
beyond  the  reach  of  sight;  and  which, 
rising  a  little  as  you  advance,  prevents  the 
deep  and  wide  chasm  through  which  the 
river  flows  from  being  seen,  till  you  come 
immediately  upon  it;  when  a  prospect 
suddenly  bursts  upon  the  view,  of  the  most 
rich  and  interesting  description  that  can 
be  conceived,  and  additionally  heightened 
from  its  contrast  to  the  dreary  region  we 
had  recently  traversed. 

The  Ebro  is  here  very  narrow  though 
deep,  and  meanders  in  a  serpentine  form 
through  fertile  vallies  of  corn  and  mea- 
dow-land, occasionally  intermixed  with 
numerous  woods  and  villages;  while  ei:ch 
side  is  flanked  by  stupendous  chains  of 
mountains,  partly  rocky  and  barren,  and 
partly  cultivated,  and  affording  walks  for 
sheep  and  goats,  which  brouse  upon  their 
steepest  summits.  A  few  leagues  up  the 
country  northward,  towards  the  source  of 
this  river,  many  of  the  loftiest  rocks  rise 


SPAIN.  1 69 

perpendicularly  one  above  the  other,  form- 
ing deep  and  extensive  ravines,  and  some 
stupendous  cataracts ;  creating  altogether 
an  assemblage  of  grand  and  sublime  scene- 
ry, probably  not  surpassed  in  any  other 
part  of  the  globe. 

Two  divisions  of  the  army  crossed  the 
Ebro  at  this  place  ;  where  the  difficulties 
to  be  overcome,  in  traversing  the  steep  de- 
scents,   before  you    arrive    at   the    paths 
which  wind  down  the  side  of  the  moun- 
tain, (being  very  rugged,  steep,  and  nar- 
row,) prevented   more  than  one  horse  or 
mule  to  pass  at  a  time ;  and  the  artillery 
in  particular,  rinding  the  obstacles  so  very 
difficult  to  surmount,  delayed  the  progress 
of  the  baggage,    and  occasioned  it  to  be 
late  before  it  arrived  in  the  field  where  we 
were  bivouacked,  the  village  of  San  Mar- 
tino  being  too  small  to  hold  us.     As  we 
marched  at  three  the  following  morning, 
several  officers  did  not  get  their  baggage 
long  before  it  was  time  to  repack  it,  which 
produced  much  inconvenience  and  some 
confusion. 


1 70  SPAIN. 

Our  march  from  the  left  bank  of  the 
Ebro  was  more  unpleasant  (nay  even  dan- 
gerous for  cavalry)  than  our  approach  to 
it  on  the  opposite  side;  but  as  no  limbs 
were  broken,  what  was  suffered  on  the  oc- 
casion was  amply  compensated  by  the  no- 
vel and  interesting  scenery,  of  which  in  con- 
sequence we  became  spectators.  Through- 
out the  whole,  indeed,  of  this  part  of  our 
march  it  appeared  as  if  we  were  traversing 
the  very  land  of  romance  ;  extensive  ra- 
vines every  where  intersect  this  mountain- 
ous country;  while  the  summits  of  the 
mountains  themselves  rear  their  barren 
and  rocky  heads  to  the  clouds,  where 
they  attract  vast  masses  of  snow,  which  at 
certain  seasons,  when  melted  by  the  sun, 
flow  in  torrents  down  the  rocks,  forming 
cataracts,  and  swelling  the  rivers  into 
which  they  fall. 

This  wild  and  romantic  scenery  is 
pleasingly  intermingled  with  rich  corn- 
fields, vineyards,  olive-groves,  and  a  few 
woods;  among  which  the  Ebro  irregularly 
winds  its  majestic  course  through  some  of 


SPAIN.  171 


the  finest  parts  of  Spain,  and  passing  by 
Saragcssa,  empties  itself  into  the  Mediter- 
ranean at  a  small  distance  below  Tortosa. 

The  same  species  of  country,  as  that 
which  I  have  been  describing,  exists, 
though  of  a  somewhat  less  striking  descrip- 
tion with  respect  to  the  mountains  and  ra- 
vines, during  the  whole  route  to  this  place. 
All  things  considered,  the  north-eastern 
part  of  the  country  forms  the  most  in- 
teresting I  have  yet  seen;  though  much 
of  this  interest  may  be  derived  from  the 
circumstance  of  my  not  having  hitherto 
met  with  any  sufficient  description  of  it. 


Travelling  about  these  parts  cannot  fail 
to  afford  a  great  deal  of  amusement,  not- 
withstanding the  dangers  by  which  it  might 
be  attended  to  the  solitary  visitor  of  these 
almost  unexplored  regions.  The  whole  of 
the  country  indeed  wears  an  aspect  of  sa- 
vage loneliness,  which  might  justly  excite 
apprehension  in  the  boldest  breast  of  rob- 
bery and  assassination  ;  particularly  among 
a  people  so  notoriously  given  to  depreda- 
tions and  atrocities  of  this  description. 


172  SPAIN. 

I  observed  in  several  places  the  usual 
signal  indicating  the  commission  of  a  mur- 
der; which  consists  in  a  cross  stuck  into  the 
earth,  furnished  with  a  painting  represent- 
ing the  final  state  of  retribution  to  which 
all  earthly  criminals  are  brought. 

My  attention  has  recently  been  entirely 
diverted  from  reflecting  upon  this  interest- 
ing country,  by  the  sudden,  unexpected, 
and  most  glorious  events  of  the  21st. 

When  we  were  about  seven  leagues  from 
Vitoria,  it  was  far  removed  from  our  con- 
templation that  such  important  matters 
were  in  agitation,  as  we  subsequently  found 
had  been  actually  accomplished;  nor  was  it 
known  even  that  any  serious  engagement 
was  likely  to  take  place,  till  we  were  far 
advanced  upon  our  march.  The  com- 
mencement of  firing  of  cannon  and  mus- 
quetry  first  instructed  us  with  what  was 
going  on,  and  very  shortly  afterwards  we 
arrived  in  the  field  of  battle. 

The  bustle  of  a  decisive  action  between 
two  such  powerful  contending  armies  form- 


SPAIN.  173 

ed  a  novel  and  interesting  scene  to  me,  of 
which  no  time  can  obliterate  the  remem- 
brance. 

To  my  mind,  unaccustomed  to  view 
things  in  a  military  point  of  view,  the  com- 
plete scene  of  confusion  which  took  place 
in  the  evening,  arising  from  the  total  rout 
of  the  enemy,  who  fled  in  all  directions, 
leaving  the  plains  strewed  with  every  ma- 
terial which  you  may  suppose  a  large  army 
might  possess,  formed  the  most  prominent 
part  of  the  scene.  The  whole  of  the  plains 
upon  which  the  army  moved  were  inter- 
sected by  broad  and  deep  dykes,  where 
many  an  unfortunate  soldier,  and  hundreds 
of  horses  and  mules  were  lost  in  the  gene- 
ral confusion. 

In  consequence  of  an  action  of  this  mag- 
nitude, a  scene  of  plunder  soon  com- 
menced, and  was  carried  on  in  the  manner 
usuallyattendingsuch  circumstances;  while 
the  abundant  supplies  of  various  liquors, 
bread  kc.  which  covered  the  ground,  ena- 
bled  the   men   to  regale  themselves  copi- 


174  SPAIN. 

ously,  and  furnished  additional  temptations 
to  many  irregularities  incidental  to  similar 
situations  ;  the  whole  view  presenting  the 
appearance  of  a  great  fair,  or  public  re- 
joicing, intermingled  with  scenes  of  distress 
which  may  be  better  conceived  than  de- 
scribed. 

With  the  general  result  of  this  decisive 
and  distinguished  action  you  must  be  al- 
ready acquainted,  and  I  have  nothing  to 
add  to  what  you  will  learn  from  the  public 
papers. 

Of  the  town  of  Vitoria  I  hope  to  be 
able  hereafter  to  give  you  some  informa- 
tion ;  at  present  every  thing  is  in  such  a 
state  of  confusion,  that  it  is  impossible  to 
attempt  a  description  of  the  place,  or  the 
events  which  have  passed.  Our  late  suc- 
cesses were  the  more  extraordinary,  be- 
cause the  enemy,  from  their  occupation  of 
Vitoria,  possessed  advantages  which  were 
'  not  easily  to  be  overcome. 

A  number  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  town 


SPAIN.  175 

are  said  to  have  followed  the  fortunes  of  Jo- 
seph, rather  than  stay  to  witness  the  triumph 
of  the  English,  and  many  of  their  own 
countrymen.  It  is  affirmed  also,  that  Jo- 
seph Buonaparte,  before  the  engagement, 
made  so  light  of  the  matter,  that  he  per- 
suaded numbers  of  the  citizens  to  accom- 
pany him  to  the  field  of  battle,  in  order  to 
see  how  he  would  beat  the  English. 

These  followers,  however,  upon  get- 
ting an  insight  into  the  real  state  of 
things,  soon  left  him  and  his  army,  as  it 
may  be  readily  supposed,  to  their  fate; 
though  not  without  some  individuals  meet- 
ing with  the  natural  consequences  of  the 
erroneous  prophecies  of  their  favourite. 

I  write  this  under  canvass,  in  the  woods, 
near  to  the  small  town  of  Salvatierra,  and 
from  which  I  dare  not  at  present  venture 
out,  as  it  rains  excessively,  and  the  ground 
is  knee  deep  in  mud.  Fortunately  yester- 
day (the  day  of  the  battle)  was  very  fine; 
but  such  weather  as  we  have  experienced 
©n  the  present  day,  would  have  rendered 


175  SPAIN. 

lying  out   at  night  upon  the  open  ground 
extremely  disagreeable  and  distressing. 

Where  my  next  letter  will  be  dated  from 
is  very  uncertain;  but  you  may  rest  as- 
sured that  I  shall  take  the  first  opportunity 
of  continuing  my  narrative. 


SPAIN.  177 


LETTER  XV. 


Advance  to  Navarre,  and  Entrance  into  Logrono— 
Vitoria — Sierra  betiveen  Vitoria  and  Logrono — 
Camino  Real — Reception  by  the  Inhabitants — De- 
scription of  the  Town,  and  of  the  Manners  of  the 
People. 


Logrono,  July,  1813. 

We  have  been  proceeding  over  hill  and 
dale  with  portions  of  the  army,  following 
different  divisions  of  the  enemy,  till  it  has 
been  at  last  found  that  cavalry  are  no 
longer  necessary  to  the  pursuit ;  and  we 
have  accordingly  been  ordered  to  this 
town,  stationed  upon  the  right  bank  of 
the  Ebro,  within  about  nineteen  leagues  of 
Pamplona,  and  twelve  of  Vitoria, 

N 


178  SPAIN. 

During  the  wet  weather,  when  I  last 
wrote,  we  were  ordered  into  the  town  of 
Salvatierra  for  a  few  days  ;  and  I  was  there 
told,  that  Joseph  Buonaparte  had  passed 
through  the  town,  in  his  precipitate  flight 
from  Vitoria,  with  nothing  about  him  ex- 
cept what  he  carried  upon  his  back,  the 
whole  of  his  royal  paraphernalia  &c.  being 
plundered;  and  after  an  hasty  refresh- 
ment, accompanied  by  reported  atrocities 
upon  which  I  shall  not  enter,  departed  for 
France.  From  Salvatierra  we  advanced  to 
Penacerrada,  which  formed  a  long  march, 
occupying  the  whole  day,  from  six  in  the 
morning  till  half-past  nine  at  night ;  when, 
from  want  of  accommodation  in  the  town, 
we  found  a  very  comfortable  bivouac  in  the 
midst  of  a  fine  wood,  situated  in  a  beauti- 
ful meadow.  In  the  course  of  our  route 
wre  marched  through  Vitoria  j  where  the 
subsequent  confusion,  necessarily  attendant 
upon  the  late  action,  was  gradually  giving 
way  to  that  order  and  regularity  which  the 
change  of  circumstances  naturally  intro- 
duced. The  majority  of  the  wounded 
were  brought  in,  and  crowded  in  convents 


SPAIN.  179 

converted  into  hospitals  for  the  occasion 
The  inhabitants  and  soldiery  had  been  as- 
siduously engaged  in  burying  the  killed, 
and  removing  the  dead  horses  and  mules. 
The  cannon,  tumbrils,  and  various  car- 
riages taken  in  the  battle  were  collected 
together,  and  formed  an  immense  mass  of 
trophies  wrested  from  the  enemy.  The 
greater  part  of  the  lighter  and  more  move- 
able articles,  money  &c.  having,  as  I  un- 
derstand, been  plundered  in  a  most  irre- 
gular and  shameless  manner. 

My  stay  at  this  place  was  necessarily 
short,  so  that  I  had  no  time  to  go  about 
the  town,  or  to  visit  its  principal  places.  I 
could  stay  no  longer  a  period  than  was  re- 
quisite to  procure  a  dejeune*  at  a  posada,  or 
eating-house;  where  the  people,  somewhat 
resembling  the  ass  in  the  fable,  showed  an 
utter  indifference  as  to  which  side  they 
espoused,  provided  they  had  the  furnishing 
of  either  with  the  articles  of  which  they 
*tood  in  need. 

Many  of  the  French,  connected  by  w- 

N  2 


180  st  \m. 

termarriages    with    the    inhabitants,    and 
other  ties,  still  remain  in  the  town. 

The  general  appearance  of  the  place  is 
very  respectable,  and  partakes  more  of 
comfort  and  affluence,  than  any  I  have 
seen  since  I  left  Salamanca.  A  very  lofty 
chain  of  mountains  intersects  the  country, 
from  east  to  west,  between  Vitoria  and  the 
place  from  which  I  am  now  writing.  We 
ascended  this  chain  in  the  evening  from 
the  neighbourhood  of  Penacerrada.  The 
road  is  wide  and  very  smooth,  and  winds 
circuitously  along  the  side  of  the  moun- 
tains for  three  or  four  miles,  among  ravines 
and  woods  of  a  very  picturesque  charac- 
ter. While  we  were  traversing  these  re- 
gions a  thick  fog  envelloped  the  surround- 
ing heights,  their  tops  being  lost  among 
the  clouds,  and  over  which  we  occasion- 
ally passed  in  partial  obscurity;  until 
gaining  the  summit,  and  descending  into 
the  plains  below,  an  extent  of  country, 
farther  than  the  eye  could  reach,  burst 
suddenly  upon  the  view ;  the  sun  shining 
in  the  utmost  splendor  upon  the  expan- 


SPAIN.  18i 

sive  valley  stretched  before  us ;  and  inter- 
spersed throughout  with  fertile  corn-fields, 
vineyards,  and  olive-groves;  the  Ebro  run* 
ning  through  the  whole  district  in  a  wind- 
ing direction,  bordered  by  flourishing  vil- 
lages on  every  side ;  among  which  latter, 
about  three  leagues  from  Logrono,  a  neat 
and  compact  town  stands  upon  an  emi- 
nence, called  La  Guardia ;  which  formed 
our  head-quarters  for  the  night,  after 
crossing  the  chain  of  mountains  I  have 
just  described,  and  where  the  novelty  of 
our  appearance,  coupled  with  the  late  suc- 
cesses, insured  us  much  attention,  civility, 
and  respect.  The  road  is  here  a  '  camino 
real,'  which  is  throughout  in  a  generally 
good  condition,  with  some  few  exceptions. 
These  royal  roads  are  usually  constructed 
upon  an  elevated  ground,  probably  after 
the  Roman  fashion,  and  are  banked  upon 
each  side  with  a  strong  wall  flush  with  the 
surface  of  the  road. 

On  our  way  hither  we  have  occasioned 
great  curiosity  and  admiration,  as  the  peo- 
ple assembled  in  crowds  at  the  entrance  of 


1 82  SPAIN. 

every  town  and  village  through  which  we 
passed,  to  hail  our  approach  with  the  most 
extravagant  demonstrations  of  joy,  seem- 
ing satisfied,  from  the  appearance  and 
strength  of  our  forces,  that  they  were  com- 
pletely emancipated  from  the  French  yoke. 
The  inhabitants  of  the  town  in  which  I  write 
w7ere  resolved  to  lose  no  time  in  proclaim- 
ing the  change  of  affairs,  although  it  was 
humanely  suggested  to  them,  that,  in  case 
of  the  French  returning,  everyone  of  them 
would  be  oppressed,  or  hanged,  who  assist- 
ed in  the  ceremony  ;  yet  they  insisted  upon 
proclaiming  Ferdinand  VII.  immediately  5 
and  he  was  accordingly  reinstated  upon 
his  throne  by  proxy,  the  ceremony  being 
Attended  by  the  civii  authorities  of  the 
place,  who  formed  a  procession,  escorted 
by  our  troops,  to  conduct  his  representa- 
tive to  a  stage  erected  for  the  occasion  in 
the  market-place.  In  the  evening  the 
town  was  illuminated,  and  fire- works  were 
let  off,  and  the  day  following  was  to  have 
been  dedicated  to  bull-fights, and  other  civic 
rejoicings.  In  the  former  representation, 
however,  an  immense  concourse  of  specta- 


SPAIN.  183 

tors  was  disappointed,  by  the  bulls  running 
away  just  previously  to  the  period  at  which 
they  were  wanted,  nor  could  they  be  in- 
duced to  return  by  any  endeavours  of  the 
peasants  to  bring  them  back ;  and  the  pro- 
posed festivities  ended  in  a  crowd  of  shout- 
ing vagabonds  hunting  some  poor  misera- 
ble scared  bullocks  about  the  ring,  who 
very  prudently  preferred  decamping  to 
the  celebration  of  the  deliverance  of  the 
country. 

Logrono  is  a  populous  and  tolerably  fine 
town,  the  streets  are  for  the  most  part  nar- 
row, but  well  lighted  and  paved,  and  the 
houses   in  general   are  good.     The  Ebro 
flows  by  the  north  side  of  the  town,  and  is 
here  very  shallow,  and  forms  a  few  small 
falls  at  intervals.     An  handsome  bridge, 
with  a  gateway  in  its  centre,  is  thrown  over 
the  river  at  the  northern  entrance  of  the 
town,  and  a  wide  and  open  space  is  allot- 
ted for  the  market,  which  is  generally  well 
supplied,  and  particularly  so  with  fruits  of 
various  kinds.     British  goods  are  here  ex- 
posed for  sale,  the    communication    with 


1 84  SPAIN. 

Bilboa,  and  other  parts  whence  these 
things  are  imported,  being  well  established. 
A  gravel  walk,  walled  round,  nearly  encir- 
cles the  town,  and  a  square  on  its  southern 
side  is  well  planted  with  trees,  and  abounds 
with  promenades  formed  in  different  di- 
rections, and  amply  furnished  with  gar- 
den seats.  These  walks  afford  an  agree- 
able rendezvous,  when  the  weather  proves 
favourable,  for  the  higher  classes  j  who,  un- 
der other  circumstances,  usually  frequent  a 
long  row  of  piazzas,  called  the  Portalis, 
where  the  principal  shops  are  found.  A 
large  convent  in  ruins  supplies  the  place  of 
barracks,  and  attached  to  it  is  a  crescent 
forming  a  convenient  parade,  the  enclosed 
space  of  which  having  been  originally  de- 
signed for  bull-fights.  A  neat  small  thea- 
tre has  been  erected  on  this  spot,  at  which 
a  company  of  comedians  and  dancers  oc- 
casionally perform. 

The  French,  during  their  stay  in  this 
town,  constructed  a  very  spacious  and  con- 
venient building  for  a  military  hospital, 
well  furnished  with  a  kitchen,  laboratory, 


SPAIN.  185 

store-rooms,   surgery   &c.  and  on  taking 
their  leave  left  most  of  the  furniture,  such 
as   bedding  &c.  behind  them,  which  has 
proved  a  valuable  acquisition  to  the  Spa- 
nish army  and  ourselves.     The  town  con- 
tains several  handsome  churches,  the  col- 
legiate church  in  particular  being  a  very 
elegant  building,  and  well  adorned  on  the 
inside  with  paintings,  and  other  usual  deco- 
rations common  to  a  Spanish  church,  and 
it  possesses  a  fine  toned  organ  and  a  good 
choir  of  singers.     The  town  is  very  well 
supplied  with  water  from  a  copious  foun- 
tain,   that   is   constantly    surrounded    by 
women,  whose  business  it  is  to  carry  it  to 
and  fro  in  large  pitchers,  which  they  rest 
upon  the  head,  and  poise  in  so  dextrous  a 
manner,  as  to  be  able  to  walk  with  consi- 
derable rapidity  through  the  streets,  with- 
out holding  the  vessel  with  either  hand, 
placing  it  on  a  towel  wound  round  their 
heads,  in  a  manner  that  forms  an  hollow  for 
the  reception  of  the  vessel.     When  carried 
empty  the  pitcher  is  placed  upon  its  side 
in  the  same  situation. 

Notwithstanding   the  apparent  satisfac- 


1S6  Portugal: 

tion  expressed  at  our  arrival,  it  is  very  evi- 
dent, that,  during  the  five  years  in  which 
the  French  occupied  this  town,  they  in- 
gratiated themselves  M'ith  some  of  the 
people,  who,  in  spite  of  the  tyranny  prac- 
tised towards  many  of  their  countrymen, 
experienced  no  peculiar  personal  inconve- 
nience from  the  general  oppression  and 
exaction.  I  am  inclined  to  believe  indeed, 
that,  many  of  them,  while  praising  the  Eng- 
lish, are  really  expressing  opinions  very 
opposite  from  those  which  they  enter- 
tain. Our  arrival,  however,  certainly  pro- 
duced a  great  sensation  among  them,  but 
time  must  show,  should  we  stay  here  long, 
to  what  extent  their  sincerity  reaches. 

The  inhabitants  and  the  English  have 
now  begun  to  interchange  civilities  with 
each  other,  and  balls  and  other  parties 
have  been  mutually  given  and  received. 
These  entertainments,  on  their  part,  do  not 
afford  me  any  high  idea  of  Spanish  society. 
The  men  are  for  the  most  part  vulgar,  ve- 
hement and  noisy,  and  the  women  defi- 
cient in  delicacy  and  manners.  Before  a 
party  has  been  long  assembled  segars  are 


spain.  187 

introduced,  the  smoak  of  which  fills  the 
room  and  creates  an  odour,  that,  as  you 
may  easily  suppose,  is  not  very  agreeable 
to  those  unaccustomed  to  such  practices  ; 
to  which  may  be  added  the  constant  efflu- 
via proceeding  alike  from  both  sexes.  I 
have  not  yet  observed,  that  the  Spaniards 
possess  a  greater  degree  of  intelligence,  or 
information  than  their  despised  neighbours 
the  Portuguese,  nor  could  I  discover  any 
really  good  grounds  upon  which  they  can 
rest  their  boasted  superiority. 

I  believe  tli^t  time  is  not  likely  easily  to 
reconcile  me  to  this  nation.  I  wish  how- 
ever not  to  judge  too  hastily,  although 
every  day  furnishes  me  with  additional 
reasons  for  lamenting  the  present  condition 
of  Spain,  when  compared  with  the  notions 
we  have  imbibed  of  this  once  distinguished 
country. 


J  88  SPAIN* 


LETTER  XVI. 


Neighbourhood  of  Pamplona — Province  of  Navarre, 
its  Productions  and  Population — Mode  of  beating 
out  the  Corn — Aqueduct  —  Feuds  and  Divisions 
among  the  Spaniards. 


Logrono,  August,  1 8iS. 

Since  my  last  letter  we  have  undergone  a 
precipitate  march  to  the  neighbourhood  of 
Pamplona.  Of  the  glorious  and  well-con- 
tested battles  of  the  pyrenees,  you  have  of 
course  ere  this  been  made  acquainted. 
When  we  arrived  we  found  the  armies  en- 
gaged among  the  hills  close  to  the  town, 
to  the  relief  of  which  Souit  had  hastened 
in  the  most  rapid  and  determined  manner ; 
but,  no  doubt  to  the  severe  disappointment 
of  his  friends  within  the  walls  of  Pamplona, 


SPAIN.  189 

as  well  as  mortification  to  himself,  was 
beaten  off  just  when  they  must  have  in- 
dulged confident  expectations  of  his  suc- 
cess. The  two  armies  lying  opposite  to  each 
other,  upon  the  heights,  produced  at  night 
an  interesting  and  awful  effect,  each  line 
being  distinctly  marked  by  the  lights  of 
its  respective  encampments.  In  one  point 
of  view  a  striking  difference  was  observ- 
able between  the  two  armies,  the  lights  of 
the  enemy  being  weak  and  thinly  scat- 
tered, while  those  of  the  English  wrere 
vivid  and  numerous.  Upon  this  occasion 
the  baggage  was  left  some  time  in  the  rear, 
and  we  were  therefore  compelled  to  pass 
the  night  upon  the  bare  ground,  on  hills 
devoid  of  any  species  of  shelter  from  the 
weather,  which  however  fortunately  proved 
favourable. 

We  were  less  happy  in  the  circum- 
stances attending  our  supply  of  food,  than 
even  in  our  lodging;  for  though  there  were 
several  small  villages  in  the  neighbour- 
hood, most  of  the  houses  belonging  to 
them   were   in   a  deserted   and  desolated 


1    °  SPAIN. 

state,  and  furnished  no  description  of  sus- 
tenance whatever.  Yet  our  march  through 
this  mountainous  country  was  not  devoid 
of  interest,  and  indeed  possessed  con- 
siderable charms  from  the  great  beauty  of 
the  scenery.  I  was  one  morning,  during 
our  progress  among  the  mountains,  fortu- 
nate enough,  through  the  help  of  a  glass, 
to  get  a  tolerably  distinct  view  of  Marshal 
Soult,  who  was  reconnoitring  from  a  great 
elevation,  attended  by  a  retinue  of  be- 
tween forty  and  fifty  horsemen,  consisting 
probably  of  his  staff,  orderlies  &c.  He  ap- 
peared to  be  a  very  tall  and  stout  man. — 
I  rode  over  the  ground  after  the  last  and 
most  distinguished  battle  which  occurred 
in  these  parts,  and  beheld  with  astonish- 
ment the  great  strength  of  the  enemy's 
positions,  and  the  almost  insuperable  dif- 
ficulties which  our  army  had  to  surmount 
during  the  course  of  these  most  arduous 
achievements.  Innumerable  dead  bodies., 
in  a  state  of  partial  putrefaction,  lay  in  all 
directions,  a  prey  to  wolves  and  vultures. 

We  have  lately  been  in  what  is  esteemed 


SPAIN.  191 

the  finest  and  most  productive  part  of  the 
nortli  of  Spain.  It  is  said  that  Navarre  is 
not  exceeded  in  fertility  by  any  province 
in  the  country,  unless  it  be  some  one 
among  those  bordering  upon  the  Medi- 
terranean. Every  article  of  food  is  more 
easily  procured  and  at  a  cheaper  rate  than 
in  any  other  I  have  past  through.  The 
town  of  Pamplona,  the  capital  of  Navarre, 
lies  at  the  foot  of  the  small  pyrenees,  and 
in  an  extensive  valley  surrounded  by 
chains  of  verdant  hills ;  the  mountains  of 
the  pyrenees  rising  at  a  distance,  and  lift- 
ing their  rocky  heads  to  the  clouds,  and 
assuming  a  great  variety  of  grotesque  and 
fantastic  shapes. 

The  greater  part  of  the  cavalry  is  can- 
toned in  villages  about  this  country,  while 
the  majority  of  the  infantry  has  proceeded 
to  Saint  Sebastian,  where  the  enemy  still 
holds  out  in  the  most  obstinate  manner;  the 
Spaniards  being  left  in  the  mean  while  to 
watch  the  garrison  of  Pamplona,  which 
occasionally  makes  sorties  to  procure 
forage,  as  well  as  for  the  purpose  of  cover- 


192  SPAIN. 

ing  the  entrance  of  mules  loaded  with  pro- 
visions for  the  supply  of  the  town.  He  is 
however  too  closely  watched  to  effect 
much  in  these  attempts.  I  have  ventured 
within  about  three  quarters  of  a  mile  of 
the  town,  which  appears  to  be  large  and 
handsome,  and  very  strongly  fortified.  I 
trust  I  shall  have  an  opportunity  of  seeing 
it  more  closely  at  a  future  period,  when 
its  present  occupiers  are  tired  of  the  con- 
finement and  privations  they  endure. 

Corn,  vines,  and  olive  trees  are  very 
abundant. in  these  parts;  and  numerous 
vegetables,  such  as  cabbages  (of  a  very 
superior  flavor)  small  but  very  indifferent 
potatoes,  a  large  species  of  carrot,  toma- 
toes &c.  are  greatly  cultivated,  with  all  of 
which  the  markets  are  very  regularly  sup- 
plied. The  country  also  abounds  with 
wood,  and  numerous  villages  and  small 
towns,  tolerably  peopled,  are  scattered 
throughout  the  district ;  more  pasturage  is 
likewise  to  be  observed  here,  than  in  most 
other  parts  throughout  the  northern  pro- 
vinces of  Spain.   Butter  and  cheese  can  be 


SPAIN.  193 

procured  in  great  plenty  throughout  the 
whole  of  Navarre,  and  of  a  better  quality 
than  in  the  adjacent  districts.  They  are 
sometimes  made  from  cow's  milk,  but  more 
generally  from  that  of  the  goat  j  in  which 
latter  case  the  butter  generally  imbibes 
an  unpleasant  flavor,  that  however  by 
washing  can  be  easily  removed.  The 
cheese  is  somewhat  insipid  and  hard,  and 
indeed  greatly  resembles  that,  for  which 
Suffolk,  and  some  other  counties  of  Eng- 
land have  long  been  celebrated. 

The  red  wine  which  is  produced  in  Na- 
varre is  esteemed  the  best  in  Spain,  pos- 
sessing the  richest  flavor,  and  being  of  a 
stronger  quality  than  any  other.  If  drank 
from  the  barrel,  when  about  two  years  old, 
it  is  often  found  to  be  an  extremely  grateful 
and  generous  wine,  but  the  goat's  and 
pigs-skins,  in  which  it  is  conveyed  from 
place  to  place,  from  the  pitchy  preparation 
with  which  the  inner  surfaces  are  lined, 
impart  a  disagreeable  taste  common  to 
all  Spanish  wine.  This  fine  province  must 
nevertheless  be  at  present  in  a  very  dif- 
o 


194  SPAIN. 

ferent  state  to  that  which  it  enjoyed  some 
years  past,  as  the  presence  of  the  French 
armies  has  reduced  its  resources  and  greatly 
impoverished  the  inhabitants.  In  this  ad- 
vanced state  of  the  season,  it  being  now 
about  the  middle  of  August,  the  corn  wears 
a  rich  and  beautiful  appearance  and  pro- 
mises an  abundant  harvest. 

Nothing  can  show  the  slight  advance, 
that  this  country  has  made  in  the  arts  of 
agriculture,  in  a  stronger  light,  than  the  na- 
tion's still  adopting  the  clumsy  and  primi- 
tive mode  of  beating  out  the  corn,  which 
we  learn  from  the  writings  of  Moses  was  in 
practice  among  the  Jews,  and  other  nations 
of  antiquity,  when  the  arts  of  husbandry 
were  nearly  in  their  infancy.  A  circular 
stage  is  raised  above  the  level  of  the  ground, 
supported  by  a  frame  of  wooden  planks, 
and  horses  or  mules,  harnessed  to  an  heavy 
sledge,  are  employed  to  draw  it  briskly 
round  the  ring,  the  corn  being  strewed  in 
layers,  for  the  purpose  of  being  beaten  out 
by  this  species  of  rude  machinery  passing 
over  it.     Sometimes,   a   man  holding  the 


SPAIN".  195 

reins,  stands  in  the  sledge  to  drive  it  round ; 
and  the  children  are  allowed  to  amuse 
themselves  by  riding  in  it,  in  order  to  in- 
crease the  pressure.  When  a  certain  por- 
tion of  grain  is  thus  forced  out,  it  is  passed 
through  different  sieves ;  the  whole  process 
is  certainly  slow  and  imperfect,  and  exposed 
to  many  inconveniencies,  and  occasion- 
ally to  waste. 

The  principal  object  of  curiosity  in  this 
neighbourhood,  is  a  very  large  and  hand- 
some aqueduct,  which  is  thrown  across  a 
wide  valley  between  two  chains  of  hills, 
emerging  from  the  base  of  one  and  passing 
directly  to  that  of  the  other.  I  counted 
ninety-seven  arches  supporting  the  canal. 
The  centre  arch  is  about  fifty  feet  high,  and 
the  rest  gradually  diminish  in  height  to  the 
right  and  left.  This  work  forms  a  conspi- 
euous  and  beautiful  object  in  the  midst  of 
the  surrounding  and  extensive  valley. 

At  the  end  of  about  three  weeks  we  re- 
turned to  our  former  quarters  by  slower  de- 
grees than  we  advanced;  where,  a  change  in, 
o  2 


196  SPAIN. 

the  municipality  unfavourable  to  our 
cause  having  taken  place,  we  were  not  re- 
ceived with  any  of  those  enthusiastic  de- 
monstrations of  joy  which  announce  an 
hearty  welcome,  but  on  the  contrary,  ex- 
perienced a  coolness  and  indifference  on 
the  part  of  the  inhabitants,  which  con- 
vinced me  that  they  were  more  rejoiced  at 
our  removal  than  gratified  by  our  return; 
though  we  find,  as  usual,  the  feelings  of 
the  populace  a  good  deal  divided.  Of 
course,  a  great  number  of  persons  must  de- 
rive benefit  from  the  presence  of  our 
troops,  and  it  may  easily  be  imagined  what 
an  influence  this  circumstance  alone  neces- 
sarily produces  upon  the  interests  and 
feelings  of  the  towns-people.  The  disposi- 
tion of  this  place  seems  to  afford  a  tolerably 
fair  specimen  of  the  spirit  of  the  nation  at 
large,  and  of  its  feeling  towards  the  libera- 
tors of  their  country  That  there  are  many 
sincere  and  grateful  friends  to  the  English 
T  have  little  doubt,  though  I  am  equally 
persuaded  that  the  majority,  in  their  hearts, 
from  a  variety  of  causes  and  prejudices, 
prefer  the  French. 


SPAIN.  197 

The  people  indeed  are  obviously  divided 
in  their  opinion,  as  petty  disturbances  and 
contentions  are  eternally  occurring,  both 
parties  on  these  occasions  reviling  and  ac- 
cusing each  other  with  the  bitterest  aspe- 
rity. 

Those  who  favoured  the  French  with  par- 
ticular indications  of  friendship,  during 
their  residence  among  the  Spaniards,  are 
now  taunted  by  their  opponents  with  show- 
ing an  equal  predilection  for  the  English; 
while  others,  who  from  the  pride  of  national 
character  discover  a  coolness  towards  the 
English,  bordering  upon  sulkiness,  are  de- 
nounced as  traitors  and  friends  of  the 
French.  In  Vitoria,  and  other  towns,  I  have 
heard  that  the  same  spirit  of  contention 
prevails,  which  indicates  by  no  means  that 
universal  concordance  of  opinion  upon  pub- 
lic events,  that  I  had  been  led  to  expect 
before  my  arrival  in  the  country. 

I  think  that  the  experience  we  may  gain 
of  this  nation  will  every  day  add  strength 
to  these  ideas;  and  very  probably,  when  the 


198  .  SPAIN*. 

great  work  of  driving  the  French  out  of 
the  country  is  completed,  the  nation  will  be 
torn   by   internal    commotions,    and   look 
upon  England  with  as  jealous  an  eye,  and 
afford  her  no  better  welcome,  than  usually 
falls  to  the  lot  of  the  unfortunate  being  who 
steps  in  to  mediate  between  husband  and 
wife.     The  time  probably  will  not  be  long, 
before   it  will  be  fully  seen  how  slight  a 
value  Spain  will  set  upon  her  recent  deliver- 
ance, and  the  small  advantage  she  will  de- 
rive from  it.     In  the  mean  while  I  cannot 
but  feel  an  interest  in  the  cause,  from  the  re- 
membrance of  the  greatness  of  the  king- 
dom as  it  existed  in  better  days;  of  which, 
the  sudden  burst  of  patriotism,  when  the 
insolent  pretensions  of  the  enemy  were  first 
made  known,  seemed  to  indicate  a  speedy 
renewal. 

The  Portuguese  are  altogether  unani- 
mous in  their  gratitude  for  the  great  ser- 
vices rendered  them  by  the  British;  but,  if 
the  Spaniards  possess  this  feeling  at  all, 
they  are  for  the  most  part  backward  in  ac- 
knowledging it ;    and,  with  an  arrogance 


SPAIN.  199 

and  self-sufficiency,  peculiar  to  the  na- 
tion, attribute  much  of  the  merit  of  every 
achievement  that  has  been  accomplished, 
during  the  various  campaigns  in  the  pe- 
ninsula, to  themselves.  This  they  seem  to 
consider  as  indicating  a  proper  sense  of 
their  own  dignity  and  independence;  and 
one  '  most  excellent  Senory  compliments  his 
most s  illustrious  friena*  upon  the  vast  ex- 
ploits of  their  brave  and^we  armies,  and 
sums  up  the  whole  by  wishing  his  excel- 
lency '  may  live  a  thousand  years.' 

Perhaps  it  might  be  carrying  the  matter 
too  far  to  conclude  by  wishing  you  a  similar 
blessing. 


<2CX)  .SPAIN. 


LETTER  XVII. 


Vine  Harvest — Manufacture  and  Sale  of  Wine — Route 
through  Biscay — Vitoria — Camino  Real  a  Francia 
— Tolosa — Characteristic  Appearance  of  the  People 
of  Biscay,  and  Peculiarity  of  the  Basque  Lan- 
guage. 


Passages,  October,  1813. 

►Since  my  last  letter,  circumstances  have 
obliged  me  to  quit  the  army  for  a  short 
time,  and  to  take  up  my  abode  in  this  place. 
When  I  commenced  my  journey  hither  the 
vine  harvest  was  just  began,  and  the  wine 
countries  through  which  I  have  passed  pre- 
sented every  where  an  interesting  and 
lively  scene.  All  hands  of  both  sexes  were 
put  in  requisition  upon  this  occasion.  The 
vines  are  universally  dwarfish   in   appear- 


SPAIN.  201 

ance,  being  cut  down,  and  not  suffered  to 
grow  much  beyond  the  ordinary  standard 
of  a  small  gooseberry-tree.  The  purple  is 
much  more  cultivated  than  the  white 
grape,  and  their  respective  flavors  vary 
greatly  in  excellence  on  different  estates, 
though  none,  that  I  have  hitherto  met  with, 
approach  the  richness  of  a  well-ripened 
grape  from  our  English  hot-houses.  A  taller 
species,  and  one  bearing  what  is  called  the 
Malaga  grape,  and  growing  as  ours  gener- 
ally do,  is  frequently  cultivated  in  gardens, 
with  superior  care  to  that  which  is  em- 
ployed upon  the  vines  solely  appropriated 
to  the  produce  of  wine.  The  fruit  of  the 
former  require  also  more  ripening  than 
that  of  the  latter,  and  when  gathered  is  af- 
terwards hung  up  to  dry,  and  potted  with 
sugar.  This,  and  some  other  of  the  Spanish 
sweet-meats,  are  very  tine,  such  as  pears, 
green-gages,  the  magnum-bonum  plum, 
apricots  &c.  all  are  preserved  with  large 
quantities  of  syrup,  and  are  handed  about 
with  wine  and  biscuit  when  the  people  are 
assembled  in  the  evening,  or  during  a  morn- 
ing visit.     As  soon  as  the  bunches  of  grapes 


202  SPAIN*. 

destined  for  the  making  of  wine  are  cut  off 
from  the  vines,  they  are  put  into  conical 
barrels,  one  of  which,  when  filled,  is  placed 
upon  each  side  of  a  mule,  and  thus  trans- 
ported to  the  place  allotted  for  the  press- 
ing out  of  the  juice.  This  last  operation 
is  not  conducted  in  the  most  delicate  man- 
ner, and  indeed  it  requires  no  small  share 
of  philosophy  to  overcome  the  feeling  of 
disgust  naturally  excited  by  the  early  part 
of  the  process  it  undergoes.  The  wine  is 
usually  kept  three  months  before  it  is  fit 
for  use ;  at  which  period,  though  it  has 
passed  the  different  stages  of  fermenting 
and  refining,  it  is  still  considered  to  be  ex- 
tremely new.  A  green  bush,  or  a  piece  of 
red  rag  suspended  over  the  door  of  an 
house,  is  the  usual  signal  for  the  sale  of 
vine;  and  I  have  always  considered  that 
the  best  criterion  of  its  quality  is  the  de- 
gree of  crowding,  riot,  and  confusion,  ob- 
servable among  the  peasantry  surrounding 
the  place. 

Due  notice  of  the  opening  of  a  wine- 
house  is  obliged  to  be  sent  to  the  alcalde. 


SPAIN.  203 

or  chief  magistrate  of  the  town  ;   when  a 
deputation  of  civil  authorities  proceeds  to 
the   spot,    carrying   a   silver  cup,    out   of 
which  they  take  the  first  taste  of  the  wine, 
and  according  as  they  approve  or  condemn, 
the  licence  is  granted  or  withheld.     The 
nefarious  practice  of  mixing  new  wine  with 
old,  and  that  of  an  indifferent  quality  with 
the  wine  of  the  best  vintages,  renders  it 
very  difficult  to  procure  any  that  is  tolera- 
ble;  and  the  only  chance  of  obtaining  it  in 
good  order  is,  to  make  interest  to  have  a  bar- 
rel or  skin  filled  in  the  cellar  when  the  shop 
is  first  opened.     The  overflowings,  which 
must  necessarily  take  place  from  this  retail 
mode  of  disposing  of  the  liquor,  are  cast  in- 
discriminately into  the  same  butt  whence  it 
was  originally  taken,  with   the  occasional 
addition  of  no  small  quantity  of  water,  and 
is  then  again  retailed;  and,  as  this  is  a  ce- 
remony often  repeated,  the  quality  of  the 
wine  may  be  pretty  easily  conjectured  with 
which  the  last  customer  is  accommodated. 

An  old  skin,   well  saturated  with  wine, 
does   not   always    impart    a    very   strong 


204  SPAIN. 

and  disagreeable  flavor  to  the  liquor  j  but 
in  general,  and  especially  if  the  skin  be 
new,  the  pitchy  composition  with  which  its 
inner  side  is  lined,  impregnates  the  wine 
with  a  most  powerful  and  austere  taste, 
common  to  the  ordinary  red  wine  of  the 
country,  usually  known  by  the  name  of 
black-strap. 

An  agreeable  white  wine  is  made  from 
the  Malaga  grape,  which  is  sweet,  stronger 
bodied,  and  altogether  a  cleaner  wine  than 
the  generality  ;  most  of  the  common  white 
wines  being  very  light  and  acidulous. 

I  shall  now  proceed  to  give  you  a  de- 
scription of  my  route  to  this  place.  As  I 
slept  a  night  at  Vitoria,  I  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  seeing  more  of  the  town,  and  to 
greater  advantage  than  when  I  last  visited 
it,  as  order  and  regularity  had  been  long 
re-established,  and  the  inhabitants  had  be- 
come reconciled  to  their  visitors. 

The  town  lies  upon  the  side  of  a  steep 
hill,  and  possesses  extensive  suburbs ;    it 


SPAIN.  205 

appears  very  populous,  and  seems,  by  the 
profusion  of  shops,  to  have  a  considerable 
share  of  trade.  It  is,  I  think,  inferior  to 
Salamanca,  both  with  respect  to  size  and 
every  other  particular,  excepting  the  faci- 
lity of  procuring  almost  every  article  of 
life, — it  enjoys  a  great  advantage  in  the 
abundance  of  French  goods  which  are  ex- 
posed for  sale,  and  it  is  exceedingly  well 
furnished  with  hotels,  caftes  &c. 

A  large  and  well-stocked  market  is  held 
during  the  week  days,  but  every  thing  sup- 
plied is  exorbitantly  dear:  poultry,  game 
&c.  though  of  a  very  inferior  quality,  are 
disposed  of  at  prices,  to  which  even  the 
dealers  of  Covent-Garden  Market  are  en- 
tire strangers,  and  every  species  of  wine, 
except  that  of  the  country,  is  nearly  as 
dear  as  in  England. 

Most  of  the  streets  are  flagged,  and  some 
are  open  and  handsome,  with  many  good 
houses. 

The  principal  square    is    spacious,    uni- 


£06  SPAIN. 

form,  and  elegant,  and  its  piazzas  form  the 
usual  promenade,  when  the  weather  does 
not  permit  the  people  of  fashion  to  walk 
upon  a  fine  stone-built  terrace,  fenced  with 
handsome  iron  railings,  which  stands  about 
the  middle  of  the  hill  above  the  market- 
place, defended  to  the  north  by  a  long  row 
of  lofty  houses. 

The  house  which  Joseph  Buonaparte  was 
pleased  to  establish  as  his  palace,  is  very 
large  and  handsome,  and  has  some  gardens 
attached  to  it.  The  churches  and  con- 
vents are  splendidly  ornamented,  and  much 
in  the  usual  style.  The  camino  real  lead- 
ing, from  the  town  is  very  good,  and  is 
fknked  some  way  on  both  sides  by  rows  of 
poplars. 

A  depot  for  the  commissariat  and  medi- 
cal departments  is  established  in  this 
place,  and  numbers  of  sick  and  wounded 
officers  crowd  the  town.  The  road  above- 
mentioned,  which  leads  from  the  eastern 
gate  of  the  town,  is  for  the  most  part 
straight,  and  in  excellent  order;  though 


SPAINl  £07 

after  the  bad  weather,  and  the  passing  of 
the  army,  it  is  at  present  in  many  parts 
much  cut  up. 

The  country  through  which  this  road 
takes  its  course  abounds  with  small  towns 
and  villages.  The  land  within  a  few  miles 
of  Vitoria  is  plain,  and  possesses  a  great 
deal  of  pasturage,  though  the  road  subse- 
quently shapes  its  course  through  lofty 
mountains,  which  are  rocky  and  barren 
at  their  summits,  but  about  half  way 
down  become  convertible  into  arable  land, 
or  afford  pasture  for  the  herds.  The  quan- 
tity of  snow,  which  during  a  great  part  of 
the  year  lies  upon  those  mountains,  is 
thought  to  enrich  the  neighbouring  soil, 
and  adapt  it  to  vegetation. 

Vines  are  not  much  cultivated  in  this 
part  of  the  province  of  Biscay,  though  corn 
(and  Indian  corn  especially)  abounds,  while 
thick  forests  very  generally  clothe  the  sides 
of  the  mountains.  The  pumpkin  and  gore 
are  frequently  cultivated,  of  which  much 
use   is    made   in   various    articles  of  diet. 


208  »        SPAIN-. 

The  size  of  this  species  of  fruit  is  enor- 
mous. In  the  corner  of  a  kitchen  I  one 
day  observed  a  large  pumpkin  partially  de- 
voured, which  the  people  of  the  house  told 
me  they  had  been  in  the  habit  of  employ- 
ing, for  culinary  purposes,  during  the  space 
of  two  years. 

The  principal  town  on  this  road,  after 
leaving  Vitoria,  is  Tolosa,  a  large  and 
populous  place,  lying  in  a  very  fine  and 
picturesque  country,  very  hilly  and  fertile, 
and  furnished  with  abundance  of  wood. 
The  streets,  houses  &c.  are  neither  neat 
nor  handsome,  nor  does  the  town  possess 
any  striking  beauties. . 

Farm-houses  and  quintas  (gentlemen's 
seats)  are  occasionally  scattered  through 
the  country,  but  their  style  of  building  is 
very  deficient  both  in  taste  and  comfort. 

In  the  towns  and  villages  upon  this  road, 
there  is  much  less  appearance  of  cleanli- 
ness and  neatness  in  the  arrangements  of 
the  houses,  than  is  to  be  noticed  farther 


SPAIN.  209 

south.  The  houses  are  mostly  old,  and  in 
bad  repair;  the  windows,  where  any  thing 
of  the  kind  occurs,  are  for  the  most  part 
broken  ;  and  the  chambers  are  universally 
floored  with  wood,  which  affords  shelter  for 
all  kinds  of  vermin,  and  does  not  offer  that 
wholesome  and  cleanly  appearance  which 
the  neat  brick  floors,  I  formerly  noticed, 
produce. 

The  towns  and  villages,  though  im- 
poverished and  shabby  in  their  appearance 
upon  a  close  inspection,  nevertheless,  pre- 
sent, when  cursorily  viewed,  a  very  respect- 
able, and  often  a  very  hanclsome  air, 
which  is  probably  in  a  great  measure  to  be 
attributed  to  the  fertile,  diversified,  and 
frequently  romantic  scenery  which  sur- 
round them. 

The  whole  of  this  part  of  the  country  is 
plentifully  supplied  with  water  j  and  as  I 
passed  along  I  noticed  several  fine  falls, 
cascades  &c. 

The  country  people  of  this  province  ap- 
p 


210  SPAIN. 

pear  to  be  generally  more  stout  and  athle- 
tic than  those  which  I  have  hitherto  seen. 
The  women,  like  those  of  Wales  and  Corn- 
wall, seldom  wear  either  shoes  or  stock- 
ings ;  they  differ  also  in  their  counte- 
nances, dress,  and  general  appearance 
from  the  people  of  the  other  provinces, 
being  fairer,  and  having  a  more  florid  co- 
lour ;  wearing  longer  waists,  and  their 
hair  platted  together  behind,  and  hanging 
down  in  enormously  thick  and  long  tails. 
Many  of  them  use  felt  hats,  stuck  perpen- 
dicularly upon  the  top  of  their  heads,  over 
high  caps;  but  this  addition  is  adopted  on 
holidays  only. 

The  language  of  this  province  which  is 
called  the  Basqueueze,  is  very  peculiar,  and 
greatly  differs  from  the  Castilian,  (which  is 
generally  considered  the  purest  Spanish,) 
as  well  as  from  every  other  dialect.  It  is 
not  universally  spoken,  even  in  Biscay, 
few  beyond  the  lowest  orders  being  founds 
who  are  not  fully  as  well  acquainted  with 
the  Castilian  as  the  harsh  and  vulgar  lan- 
guage of  the  Basques. 


SPAIN.  211 


LETTER  XVIII. 


Nature  of  the  Climate — Autumnal  Scenery — Pyre- 
nees—Description of  the  Country  about  Passages — 
Present  State  of  St.  Sebastian — Passages  and  Ren 
teria. 


Passages,  Nov.  1813. 

Since  I  have  been  stationed  here,  I  have 
had  perpetual  cause  to  regret  the  loss  of  a 
very  accurate  thermometer,  which  I 
brought  from  England,  and  which  I  have 
not  been  able  to  replace,  as  those  offered 
for  sale  in  the  Spanish  shops  are  calculated 
to  answer  any  end,  except  that  of  giving 
an  accurate  idea  of  the  state  of  tempera- 
ture. Under  these  circumstances,  how- 
ever, though  I  cannot  enter  into  the  minu- 
tiae of  degrees,  my  own  feelings  partake 
p  2 


212  SPAIN. 

sufficiently  of  the  properties  of  quicksilver 
to  assure  me  that  you  are  much  mistaken 
if  you  fancy  England  the  most  changeable 
of  climates.  Notwithstanding  it  is  now 
autumn,  the  weather  has  recently  been 
much  too  hot  to  admit  of  exercise  or  ex- 
posure to  the  noon-day  sun.  While  in  this 
town,  which  lies  between  lofty  hills,  the  heat 
has  lately  been  suffocating;  yet  suddenly, 
from  a  degree  of  temperature  equal  to  that 
which  is  experienced  in  the  West  Indies, 
we  have  suffered  a  transition  to  the  bleak- 
est gales  of  an  English  October,  succeeded 
by  uninterrupted  rains,  which  have  de- 
luged the  country,  overflowed  the  banks 
of  rivers,  washed  away  bridges,  and  re- 
duced the  bye-roads  and  lanes  to  a  state 
that  we  should  at  home  fairly  condemn  as 
impassable,  but  which  are  nevertheless,  from 
the  necessities  of  war,  rendered  to  a  degree 
accessable.  The  want  of  a  snug  fire-place  is 
at  this  period  severely  felt ;  the  smoakey 
chimney-corners  are  very  distinct  from 
those  of  the  English  farmers'  fire-side,  be- 
ing no  way  inviting ;  while  the  little  occa- 
sional deficiencies  in  the  roof  and  floors. 


SPAIN.  213 

together  with  holes  representing  windows, 
render  the  iiouses  somewhat  too  airy  resi- 
dences at  this  season  of  the  year,  however 
cool  and  refreshing  they  may  prove  during 
the  heats  of  summer. 

The  weather  just  now  having  modera- 
ted, in  spite  of  the  terrible  state  of  the 
bye-roads,  and  even  parts  of  the  royal 
roads,  has  enabled  me  to  take  frequent 
rides,  and  enjoy  the  surrounding  beauties 
of  the  country,  which  are  certainly  very 
great.  The  leaves  are  beginning  to  decay 
and  fall  from  the  trees,  but  I  can  easily 
conceive  how  extremely  fine  this  variega- 
ted and  hilly  country  must  be  in  summer, 
situated  as  it  is  so  near  to  the  sea,  adorned 
with  the  finest  woods,  and  every  where  dis- 
playing the  highest  cultivation.  The  lesser 
Pyrenees  take  their  rise  in  this  neighbour- 
hood, and  extend  towards  Pamplona,  uni- 
ting with  the  larger  chain  which  runs  from 
the  Bay  of  Biscay  to  the  Mediterranean, 
and  divides  France  from  Spain. 

These  mountains  are  extremely  verdant, 


814  SPAIN. 

and  are  covered  in  many  places  with  wood 
of  various  descriptions;  much  game  is  fre- 
quently found  upon  them,  and  you  would 
scarcely  believe  that  hunting  is  even  prac- 
tised in  this  mountainous  district ;  a  pe- 
culiar breed  of  dogs,  greatly  resembling 
our  terrier,  being  employed  for  this  sport. 

Afew  leagues  from  Tolosa,  the  royal  road 
to  France,  by  Yrun,  is  quitted  on  the  left, 
in  order  to  get  to  Passages  in  a  more  com- 
modious way;  not  that  I  think  that  any 
way  can  easily  be  worse,  than  what  is  called 
the  road  to  Passages,  for  the  last  league, 
when  the  high  water  prevents  your  taking 
the  advantage  of  passing  by  the  river 
side. 

The  first  view,  on  gaining  the  summit  of 
the  hill  near  Tolosa,  is  very  striking  and 
extensive,  and  commands  a  wide  prospect 
both  by  sea  and  land. 

The  multitude  of  detached  houses,  (or 
quintas,)  hamlets,  and  villages  which 
abound  in  this  neighbourhood,  interspersed 


SPAIN.  2 1 5 

with  much  wood,  arid  the  undulating  lines 
of  verdant  hills  studded  with  corn  fields, 
for::i  altogether  a  very  rich  and  picturesque 
scene. 

St.  Sebastian  with  its  castle,  and  a  lofty 
light-house  overhanging  the  sea,  add  much 
to  the  general  effect  of  the  prospect.  This 
town,  which  once  formed  one  of  the  finest 
places  of  Spain,  and  which  still  bears  evi- 
dent marks  of  its  former  splendor,  is 
about  a  league  from  Passages,  and  close 
to  the  sea.  Though  now  in  a  dreadful  state 
of  ruin,  you  may  still  readily  trace  some  of 
the  streets  j  yet  not  above  thirty  inhabited 
houses  have  survived  the  late  destructive 
siege.  A  sort  of  market  is  re-established, 
and  some  shops  have  very  recently  been 
opened. 

The  houses  appear  to  have  been  in  ge- 
ral  large  and  handsome,  and  the  streets,  for 
the  most  part,  of  a  good  width  and  uni- 
lormly  built.  There  are  several  churches 
and  chapels  adorned  with  elegant  towers, 
the  chief  of  which  possesses  a  very  hand- 


216  SPAIN. 

some  exterior  form,  but  on  the  inside  it  is 
less  beautiful. 

The  town  stands  in  a  very  strong  posi- 
tion, is  well  fortified  all  round,  and  two 
spacious  gateways,  approached  by  draw- 
bridges, form  the  entrances.  Some  out- 
works, under  Lord  Wellington's  direction, 
are  at  present  erecting,  which  will  render 
it  a  very  formidable  obstacle  in  the  way  of 
the  enemy,  should  he  ever  attempt  regain- 
ing his  lost  ground. 

The  castle,  which  is  a  low  and  awkward 
building,  stands  on  the  summit  of  a  very 
high  hill  immediately  over  the  sea,  and 
commands  an  extensive  prospect  on  every 
side. 

During  the  siege,  the  glare  of  light  oc- 
casioned by  the  burning  of  the  town,  pro- 
duced, I  am  told,  at  night,  a  most  awful 
and  sublime  appearance,  still  further  in- 
creased by  the  tremendous  explosions 
which  were  continually  occurring. 

The  town  of  passages  is  very  singularly 


SPAIN*.  217 

constructed,  and  is  as  detestable  as  it  is 
peculiar.  The  sea  flows  through  a  defile 
of  mountains,  and  forms  a  navigable  river 
to  a  considerable  extent  inland,  affording 
a  very  safe  and  convenient  harbour  for 
shipping,  with  which  it  is  now  exceedingly 
crowded.  This,  added  to  the  perpetually 
bustling  scene  that  is  going  on,  from  the 
town  being  the  chief  depot  of  the  army, 
imparts  an  interest  to  the  place,  which, 
joined  to  the  beauty  of  the  surrounding 
country,  compensates,  in  some  degree,  for 
the  extreme  wretchedness  of  its  accom- 
modations. 

The  whole  of  the  town  consists  of  two 
exceedingly  narrow,  dirty,  and  uneven 
streets,  one  of  which  lies  on  one  side  of 
the  river,  and  the  other  on  the  opposite 
bank  ;  the  communication  between  the  two 
beino;  carried  on  solelv  bv  means  of  boats? 
rowed  by  a  delicate  class  of  females,  whose 
education  appears  to  be  much  upon  a  par 
with  that  renowned  seminary  in  our  own 
country,  which  has  so  long  been  justly  cele- 
brated for  the  excellence  of  its  fish,    tia- 


218  SPAIN. 


grant  air,    urbanity   of  manners,  and  re- 


fined language. 


These  daughters  of  Neptune  despise 
the  effeminate  custom  of  wearing  shoes  and 
stockings;  and,  from  their  shortened  petti- 
coat and  sleeves,  display  a  pair  of  bronzed 
legs  and  arms,  which,  in  size  and  muscular 
strength,  rival  those  of  any  boatman  upon 
the  Thames. 

Added  to  the  petticoat,  that  is  some- 
times an  English  blanket,  (the  curious 
workmanship  of  which  excites  their  uni- 
versal admiration),  a  coarse  linen,  or  cloth 
jacket,  and  a  black  beaver  hat  stuck 
straight  upon  the  top  of  the  head,  form 
usually  the  simple  attire  with  which  these 
fair  navigators  are  clothed. 

Some  few  of  them  can  speak  a  little  Cas- 
tilian.  but,  when  a  slight  difference  of 
opinion  exists  among  them,  the  orators  pre- 
fer arguing  in  the  true  Basqueueze.  An 
unlucky  wight,  whose  bed-room  haplessly 
overhangs  the  river,  needs  no  alarum  bell 


SPAIN'.  219 

to  insure  his  early  waking,  as  he  is  usually, 
with  the  rising  sun,  edified  by  these  syrens 
of  the  neighbourhood  with  a  few  salutary 
modulations,  which  would  render  the  ex- 
pedient of  Ulysses  not  a  little  desirable. 

The  population  of  Passages,  under  pre- 
sent circumstances,  almost  exceeds  its  ac- 
commodation, arising  from  the  fugitives  of 
St.  Sebastian  having  taken  refuge  here,  in 
addition  to  its  former  inhabitants  ;  and  also, 
from  the  numerous  officers  of  every  depart- 
ment of  the  army,  whose  head-quarters 
are  stationed  in  this  place ;  to  which  may  be 
added  that  host  of  harpies,  called  sutlers, 
(who  appear  to  follow  the  army  solely  for 
the  purpose  of  putting  it  in  mind  of  its 
wants),  together  with  merchants  and  ad- 
venturers, of  all  descriptions. 

The  houses  on  both  sides  of  the  water 
are  universally  very  confined,  though  ge- 
nerally lofty,  and  crowded  by  different  fami- 
lies occupying  separate  rooms  and  floors. 
Few  tolerable  accommodations  are  to  be 
procured,  and  frequently  none  at  all.     The 


220  SPA  IK. 

width  from  the  river  side  to  the  foot  of  the 
hills  will  not  admit  of  broader  streets  than 
at  present  exist,  though  I  know  of  no  rea- 
son why  they  should  be  almost  impassible 
to  any  other  description  of  passengers  than 
pedestrians. 

British  goods  of  every  description  are 
profusely  vended,  at  an  immense  price,  in 
all  parts  of  the  town  ;  and  the  natives  seem 
most  cordially  to  unite  with  the  English, 
who  have  come  hither  for  profit,  in  imposing 
to  the  greatest  possible  extent  upon  the 
officers  and  men  of  the  army. 

An  excellent  market  is  held  twice  a 
week,  where  game,  poultry,  meat,  vegeta- 
bles, fruits  &c.  are  well  supplied,  but  at 
such  prices  as  can  seldom  admit  of  the  two 
first  articles  being  indulged  in.  What  do 
you  think  of  an  hare  for  three  dollars,  and  a 
lean  tough  old  fowl  for  nine  shillings ;  the 
worst  tea,  three  dollars  a  pound;  butter 
and  cheese,  three  shillings  and  sixpence? 
and  so  on  in  proportion. 

About  three  miles  up  the  river,  situated 


SPAIN.  221 

among  the  bills,  stands  the  small  town  of 
Renteria,  the  receptacle  for  sick  and 
wounded  officers,  with  which  it  is  at  pre- 
sent greatly  over-stocked  ;  and,  as  they  are 
still  daily  arriving  from  the  pyrenees,  the 
accommodations,  which  they  are  obliged  to 
put  up  with,  are  quite  shocking  to  the  feel- 
ings of  humanity. 

As  I  am  about  to  return  to  my  old  quar- 
ters through  the  province  of  Navarre,  by 
the  Pamplona  road,  I  must  shorten  this 
letter,  and  refer  you  to  another  for  a  descrip- 
tion of  every  interesting  particular  which 
may  occur. 


222  SPAIN. 


LETTER  XIX. 


The  Road  throtigh  Navarre  by  Pamplona — Robbers — 
Disposition  of  the  Natives — Spanish  Leagues — In- 
habitants and  their  Mode  of  Life ■—  Agriculture — 
Description  of  Pamplona. 


Pamplona,  December,  1813 

As  the  town  of  Pamplona  is  now  in  the 
possession  of  the  allies,  an  opportunity  has 
been  afforded  me  of  gratifying  my  curiosity 
in  seeing  the  interior  of  this  celebrated 
city ;  and  the  road  through  it  being  for  the 
most  part  remarkably  fine,  and  the  journey 
somewhat  shorter  than  by  the  way  of  Vito- 
ria,  induced  me  to  give  it  a  decided  pre- 
ference, which  the  result  has  amply  com- 
pensated. 

Travelling  alone,  in  the  very  depth  of 


SPAIN.  223 

winter,  along  a  less  populous  and  fre- 
quented road  than  usual,  and  through  a 
mountainous  country,  together  with  the 
accounts  of  robbery  and  plunder  in  which 
all  the  natives  agree,  made  me  entertain 
seme  little  fears  for  my  own  safety  and  that 
of  my  baggage.  These  reports  however 
I  find,  on  experience,  to  be  greatly  exag- 
gerated; for  the  few  people  that  I  have 
met  with  upon  the  road  behaved  with 
marked  civility  and  attention,  nor  did  I 
perceive  any  grounds  whatever  for  the 
cautions  I  had  received. 

That  a  disposition  does  exist,  among 
some  bravos  and  outlaws  who  infest  the 
mountainous  parts,  to  rob,  plunder,  and 
even  assassinate,  I  have  no  doubt,  though 
certainly  not  in  the  degree  that  has  been 
represented. 

Deserters  from  the  army  form  a  consider- 
able portion,  lam  told,  of  these  marauders, 
and  among  them  some,  I  am  sorry  to  say, 
have  been  occasionally  recognized  as  Bri- 
tish subjects. 


22  i-  SPAIN'. 

Upon  the  Bayonne  road,  as  it  winds 
through  the  mountains  towards  Yrun,  many 
robberies  have  recently  been  committed, 
the  place  being,  from  its  lonely  situation, 
peculiarly  exposed  to  attempts  of  this  na- 
ture; while  the  neighbourhood  of  our  army, 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  pyrenees,  neces- 
sarily holds  out  a  perpetual  temptation  to 
the  plunderers  who  infest  these  defiles. 

The  usual  mode  of  attack  practised  by 
these  robbers,  very  much  resembles  the 
one  employed  in  the  following  instance, 
which  came  almost  immediately  under  my 
own  knowledge.  A  person  passing  this 
road,  and  entering  upon  a  solitary  part  of  it, 
was  suddenly  arrested  in  his  progress  by 
two  robbers,  who  at  first  suffered  him  to 
pass  them  a  short  distance  unmolested,  when 
one  of  them,  in  opprobrious  language,  com- 
manded him  to  stop,  at  the  same  time 
making  signs  to  him  to  let  fall  such  valu- 
ables'as  he  had  about  him,  while  his  com- 
panion, presenting  his  piece,  pretty  forci- 
bly seconded  the  demands  of  his  associate. 
Unfortunately;   the   object   of  the   attack 


SPAIN1.  225 

paid  little  regard  to  this  strong  admonition, 
and  quietly  continuing  his  route,  received 
the  contents  of  the  musket  in  his  arm,  but 
being  well  mounted  was  fortunate  enough 
to  effect  his  escape. 

As  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  discover, 
from  conversing  with  the  natives  of  this  de- 
lightful province,  they  are  unanimous  in 
our  favour,  and  by  much  the  most  de- 
termined people  in  the  cause  which  I  have 
met  with  in  Spain.  The  English  are  held 
in  very  high  consideration  among  them, 
while  the  French,  for  tolerably  substantial 
reasons,  are  equally  detested.  The  ani- 
mosity of  the  inhabitants  towards  the  Por- 
tuguese, is  by  no  means  of  the  acrimonious 
description  which  I  have  noticed  in  the 
other  provinces  of  Spain,  though  I  have 
no  where  remarked  a  cordial  feeling  be- 
tween the  two  countries;  although  the 
Spaniards  are  assuredly  under  great  obli- 
gations to  the  former  nation,  for  the  power- 
ful co-operation  of  its  army  in  their  own 
country;  while  the  Portuguese  have  nothing 
on  their  part  to  thank  the  Spaniards  for, 
Q 


226  srAiN. 

having  on  the  contrary,  much  cause  to  be 
dissatisfied  with  the  whole  of  their  pro- 
ceedings. 

It  has  often  vexed  me  to  have  repeatedly 
heard  the  Portuguese  distinguished  by  the 
Spaniards  by  the  appellation  of '  the  bad  na- 
tion,' and  without  reason,  condemned  for 
cowardice  and  want  of  enthusiasm,  charges 
which  might  have  been  more  justly  retorted 
upon  themselves ;  and  I  have  frequently 
noticed  sneers  and  expressions  of  contempt 
fall  from  kAanish  officers  strongly  indica- 
tive of  hostility,  when  in  the  presence  of 
Portuguese  officers  most  highly  distin- 
guished for  their  conduct  and  gallantry. 
rendered  doubly  galling  by  the  extravagant 
assumption  of  the  Spaniards,  when  com- 
paring themselves  with  the  Portuguese. 

These,  and  many  other  characteristic 
traits,  will  furnish  a  general  idea  of  the 
disposition  and  temper  of  this  nation,  and 
shows  the  utter  impossibility  of  the  two 
countries  heartily  concurring  in  the  com- 
mon cause. 


SPAIN.  227 

At  Tolosa,  the  two  great  roads  branch 
off,  one  for  Vitoria  through  the  province  of 
Biscay,  and  the  other  by  the  way  of  Na- 
varre to  this  town,  the  latter  altogether  ex- 
tending to  a  distance  of  ten  leagues. — 
Throughout  this  part  of  the  country,  the 
royal  roads  are  all  furnished  with  league- 
stones,  pointing  oat  to  travellers  the  exact 
distance  from  one  place  to  the  other,  some- 
what resembling  the  mile-stones  in  our  own 
country,  though  of  a  much  larger  descrip- 
tion. 

Notwithstanding  the  Spanish  leagues  are 
shorter  and  more  accurately  laid  down 
than  those  in  Portugal,  yet  they  are  still 
far  from  being  perfectly  correct ;  as  they 
are  often  measured  by  the  people  of  the 
country,  where  no  league-stones  are  to  be 
found,  by  time,  making  an  hour  and  a 
league  synonimous  terms;  to  which,  as  a  far- 
ther inaccuracy,  may  be  added,  their  being 
not  unfrequently  divided  into  large  leagues, 
small  leagues,  and  very  short  leagues, 
agreeably  to  the  respective  distances  of  the 
different  towns  and  villages.  should. 
Q.  2 


228  SPAIN. 

however,  doubt  whether  the  distance  of 
any  description  of  Spanish  leagues,  exceeds 
three  miles ;  though  it  rarely  happens, 
where  there  are  no  league-stones,  that  any 
information  can  be  relied  upon  from  the 
computations  of  the  common  inhabitants  of 
the  country ;  for  it  is  usual  in  collecting  their 
different  opinions  to  find  them  all  disa- 
gree, and  the  answers  to  casual  enquiries 
upon  the  road  serve  only  to  puzzle  and 
disappoint  you. 

The  different  halting-places  upon  the 
road,  between  Tolosa  and  this  town,  consist 
of  very  small  and  poor  villages,  which  cir- 
cumstance, to  a  solitary  traveller,  becomes 
of  less  importance  than  to  a  regiment  on 
its  march;  for,  it  must  be  hard  indeed,  if  a 
tolerable  accommodation  cannot  be  afforded 
a  single  person. 

The  civility  and  hospitable  attentions 
which  the  inhabitants  evinced,  removed 
every  unpleasant  feeling  that  might  have 
otherwise  arisen  from  their  very  limited 
means  of  affording  a  comfortable  recep- 
tion. 


Spain.  229 

A  decent  kitchen-fire,  cheerful  counte- 
nances, and  a  room  capable  of  excluding 
the  inclemencies  of  the  season,  may  here 
be  considered  indeed  as  the  most  essential 
requisites ;  for  you  must  remember,  that  in 
our  mode  of  travelling  in  this  country,  we 
carry  certain  articles  of  diet  and  accom- 
modation about  us,  which  render  other  de- 
ficiencies of  minor  consideration ;  a  prac- 
tice which  conveys  an  idea  of  wealth  and 
independence,  to  those  who  have  not  seen 
much  of  the  British  army,  very  advanta- 
geous to  our  cause,  and  often  affording  no 
small  share   of  amusement. 

The  curiosity  of  the  inhabitants  is 
strongly  excited  as  each  little  article  of 
the  canteen  is  brought  out,  and  their  ad- 
miration at  every  contrivance  belonging  to 
the  conduct  of  the  baggage,  resembles  the 
effects  produced  upon  savages  when  placed 
in  a  similar  situation. 

Populous  as  this  province  appears,  the 
people,  remote  from  the  towns  seem  to  be 
very  little  acquainted  with  the  civilization 
of  other  European  countries.     Their  mode 


'230  SPAIN. 

of  squatting  themselves  down  in  circles  at 
their  doors,  their  dress,  or  rather  deficien- 
cies of  dress,  their  extreme  ignorance  and 
want  of  information,  their  manners  and 
habits  of  life,  partake  more  of  the  nature 
and  disposition  of  the  Moors,  in  the  earlier 
and  barbarous  periods  of  their  history 
than  of  those  of  any  other  nations. 

Their  daily  diet  consists  generally  of  very 
simple  materials,  such  as  bread,  cabbage, 
and  some  other  vegetables,  and  herbs 
made  into  broth,  roasted  chesnuts  &c. 
the  latter  forming,  among  those  who  are 
unable  to  afford  a  frequent  indulgence  in 
the  luxuries  of  bread,  meat,  and  vegeta- 
bles, the  chief  means  of  subsistence. 
Their  manner  of  cooking  is  extremely 
good.  Small  earthen  pots,  called  by  them 
pinellos,  and  filled  with  their  provisions, 
are  placed  by  the  side  of  a  wood  fire  to 
stew ;  and  the  advantage  they  possess 
over  our  metallic  ones,  is  very  conspicuous 
in  the  dressing  of  hashes,  stews,  soups  &c. 

As  I  was  sitting  with  my  patrone  (the 
master  of  the  house,  who  was  a  curate,)  one 


SPAIN.  231 

evening,  over  a  wood  fire,  in  the  kitchen, 
I  observed  a  caldron  containing  a  vast 
quantity  of  chesnuts  roasting,  and  T  con- 
cluded from  their  quantity  that  they  must 
be  for  sale.  When  sufficiently  done,  how- 
ever, they  were  all  thrown  into  an  heap 
upon  the  floor,  in  the  imdst  of  a  family 
circle  huddled  round  the  fire,  consisting 
of  women  and  children,  (inmates  of  the 
house,)  who  in  a  short  time  cleared  away 
the  whole,  each  person  finishing  the  sup- 
per with  a  draught  of  cold  water.  This 
food  to  a  stomach  accustomed  to  such 
kind  of  diet,  no  doubt  proves  nourishing, 
for  the  inhabitants  of  this  province  all  look 
healthy  and  fresh-coloured,  and  appear  to 
be  active  and  industrious.  It  is  generally 
noticed  indeed  that  the  women  and  chil- 
dren for  the  most  part  to  the  north-east  of 
Spain  possess  fairer  complexions,  and  more 
colour  in  their  cheeks,  together  with 
stouter  bodies,  than  any  other  inhabitants 
of  the  kingdom.  The  men  who  labour  in 
the  fields  are  as  brown  as  their  neigh- 
bours, but  I  think  have  usually  the  advan- 
tage in  point  of  strength  and  athletic 
limbs.     The  extreme  vicissitudes  of  heat 


:(yi  spain. 

and  cold  to  which  they  are  exposed,  prob- 
ably occasions  this  distinction,  as  the  uni- 
formly scorching  heats  of  more  southern 
parts  seems  to  diminish  the  stature  of  the 
labourers. 

The  women,  I  observed,  as  I  passed 
along,  occasionally  assist  the  men  in  the 
labours  of  the  fields,  which  are  upon  this 
road  dedicated  chiefly  to  the  cultivation  of 
turnips,  and,  in  some  few  instances,  to  corn 
and  hemp.  The  mode  of  preparing  the 
earth,  when  the  harvest  is  over,  for  ensu- 
ing crops,  is  somewhat  singular.  Three 
or  tour  men  abreast,  each  furnished  with  a 
large  iron  triplefork,  with  a  cross-bar, 
somewhat  resembling  our  dung-fork,  turn 
up  the  earth  as  they  proceed  over  the  field, 
by  driving  the  instruments  into  it  with  the 
assistance  of  their  feet,  and  then  withdrawing 
them,  performing  each  motion  together  in 
as  exact  unison  as  accompanies  the  man- 
oeuvre's of  a  well  drilled  file  of  soldiers  j 
a  woman  follows  with  the  seed,  which  she 
casts  into  the  earth  as  fast  as  it  is  turned 
up,  succeeded  by  another,  whose  employ- 
ment, consists  in   beating  down  the   sod, 


SPAIN.  233 

and  covering  the  grain.  Here  is  evident- 
ly, speaking  generally,  a  waste  of  ma- 
nual labour,  which  might  be  saved  by  the 
simplest  piece  of  machinery  used  in  our 
own  country,  and  the  employment  of 
mules  or  oxen  requiring  the  attendance  of 
one  man  only ;  though  in  many  parts  of 
Biscay  and  Navarre,  where  I  have  seen 
this  method  practised,  it  would  be  impos- 
sible to  substitute  a  plough,  from  the  na- 
ture of  the  country,  as  many  of  their 
corn-fields  lie  on  the  sides  of  mountains, 
so  steep  as  to  be  inaccessible  to  mules  and 
carriages  of  any  kind.  Generally  speak- 
ing, however,  nothing  can  show  the  very 
backward  state  of  this  country  more  fully, 
than  such  specimens  as  these  of  their  abso- 
lute ignorance  of  one  of  the  commonest 
and  most  important  occupations  of  life. 
It  may,  notwithstanding,  be  a  question 
whether  the  people  would  be  benefitted, 
under  present  circumstances,  by  the  intro- 
duction of  the  more  perfect  machinery 
commonly  in  use  among  our  own  agricul- 
turists. 

It  now  only  remains  for  me  to  give  you 


234  SPAIN. 

an  account  of  this  city  before  I  resume 
my  jour,  jy. 

Pamplona  is  certainly,  in  every  point  of 
view,  by  far  the  best  town  I  have  seen 
either  in  Spain  or  Portugal,  and  possesses 
greater  sources  of  comfort  and  amuse- 
ment. 

Its  vicinity  to  France,  and  the  sea-ports 
upon  the  coast  of  Biscay,  which,  from  the 
excellence  of  the  roads  are  easy  of  access 
even  to  carriages,  combined  with  a  ready 
communication  with  the  metropolis,  and 
the  fine  country  of  Catalonia  and  Saragos- 
sa,  all  render  this  place  eligible  as  a  resi- 
dence for  those  engaged  in  the  pursuit 
either  of  business  or  of  pleasure. 

The  town  itself  is  spacious,  airy,  and 
handsome,  the  streets  wider  than  those  of 
most  other  towns,  and  the  houses  are  ge- 
nerally high,  and  contain  numerous  apart- 
ments, kept  usually  in  very  excellent  or- 
der. The  entrance  to  the  city  is  noble,  and 
as  a  completely  fortified  town  has  a  more 
imposing  coup-d'oeil  than  Portsmouth. 


SPAIN.  235 

Its   elegant  and   lofty   spires   are    seen 
from   a   great    distance,   which,   together 
with  its  walls,  bastions,  and  turrets,  give  it 
an  appearance  of  great  strength  and  gran- 
deur.    The  northern  part  of  the  town  is 
much  elevated,  while  the  other  quarters  of 
it  are  nearly  level  with  the  land  around  ; 
the  meanderings  of  the  Ebro  are  seen  ap- 
proaching the  north  end  of  the  town  from 
a  considerable  distance,  and,  after  sweep- 
ing the  foot  of  the  walls,  glide  off  to  the 
southward. 

An  handsome  bridge  is  thrown  over  the 
river,  which  conducts  you  to  the  place 
through  a  spacious  gateway,  and  by  a  draw- 
bridge, where  a  captain's  guard  is  sta- 
tioned with  very  strict  orders  relative  to 
the  admission  of  strangers.  A  portion  of 
the  hussar  brigade  has  recently  been  quar- 
tered here,  but  at  present  it  is  entirely 
a  Spanish  garrison.  Several  quintas  and 
small  rows  of  houses  in  the  suburbs  are 
scattered  upon  the  banks  of  the  river  near 
the  town,  but  the  French  have  done  them 
considerable  injury;  while  within  the  town 


286  spain. 

they  appear  to  have  confined  their  cupidity 
to  the  plundering  only  of  almost  every  pri- 
vate house  throughout  the  city. 

In  the  centre  of  the  town,  stands  a  large 
and  usually  crowded  market-place,  very 
abundantly,  but  not  cheaply  supplied,  and 
containing  an  handsome  municipal-house, 
adjacent  to  which  lies  a  very  spacious 
square  with  piazzas  around  the  greater  part 
of  it.  One  side  of  the  square  is  adorned 
by  a  row  of  elegant  white  stone  houses, 
though  the  other  sides  are  extremely  de- 
ficient in  uniformity,  and  beauty  of  ap- 
pearance. 

The  theatre  is  a  small  and  dirty  building, 
and  its  arrangements  are  somewhat  curious. 
Besides  the  pit,  which  consists  of  little  boxes, 
each  capable  of  holding  one  person  only, 
and  numbered  to  correspond  with  the 
ticket  of  admission,  are  three  rows  of  gal- 
leries, where  nothing  but  standing  room  is 
allowed  the  audience,  there  being  no  seats; 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  chairs  in  the 
centre  row,    where   the  higher  classes  of 


SPAIN.  237 

ladies  sit,  and  the  official  dignitaries  of  the 
town,  who  are  in  a  separate  portion  of  the 
circle,  and  parted  from  the  rest.  The  lower 
circle  admits  the  '  profanum  vulgum,'  and 
the  upper,  the  intermediate  class,  while  the 
generality  of  gentlemen  sit  in  the  pit ; 
though  in  all  parts  of  the  house  the  men 
are  separated  from  the  women.  I  observed 
a  sufficient  force  of  granadiers,  stationed  in 
different  parts  of  the  house,  to  take  all  the 
assembly  prisoners,  if  requisite ;  and  they 
enforced  silence  most  rigourously,  and  with 
an  air  of  authority,  which  I  perceived,  in 
many  instances,  was  very  offensive  to  some 
of  the  audience,  who  had  occasionally  tres- 
passed by  holding  a  conversation  too  loud 
for  these  mighty  warriors  to  endure.  There 
are  a  number  of  gambling-tables,  posadas  or 
eating  houses  &c.  where  the  people  gener- 
ally spend  their  evenings.  Many  public 
buildings  are  interspersed  about  the  town, 
hospitals,  and  other  charitable  endow- 
ments, convents  &c.  some  of  which  are 
\  ery  handsome,  spacious,  and  costly.  The 
churches  are  generally  very  old  and  shabby 
in  appearance,  with  the  exception  of  the 


238  SPAIN. 

collegiate  church,  which  is  a  very  large 
and  handsome  building,  standing  upon  the 
top  of  an  hill,  at  the  northernmost  end  of  the 
town,  in  the  centre  of  a  paved  square,  sur- 
rounded by  iron  railing.  It  appears  very 
ancient,  and  of  completely  gothic  archi- 
tecture, decorated,  as  is  not  uncommon 
with  gothic  edifices,  by  curious  figures  re- 
presenting monkies,  pigs,  dogs  &c.  in  vari- 
ous uncouth  attitudes.  The  front  has  been 
modernized,  and  is  very  finely  ornamented 
with  carvings  of  scriptural  stories,  and  the 
portico  is  supported  by  plain  massy  pillars. 

A  royal  palace,  built  in  former  days, 
still  exists,  but  it  is  more  remarkable  for 
its  antiquity  than  its  beauty. 

The  next  building  of  consequence  is  the 
citadel,  at  the  southern  side  of  the  town. 
It  occupies  a  large  spac  e  of  ground,  and 
consists  chiefly  of  a  crescent  of  small  houses, 
where  the  artificers  &c.  reside:  it  has  no 
tower,  or  any  thing  indicating  a  castellated 
appearance  above  its  walls.  A  walk  round 
the  ramparts,  by  a  broad  gravelled  road3 


SPAIN.  239 

which  encircles  the  town,  commands  many 
fine  views  of  the  surrounding  country. 

The  fortifications  are  unusually  strong, 
and  doubly  ditched,  and  are  much  fre- 
quented by  the  people  of  the  town. 

Interposed  between  these  works  and  the 
city,  on  one  side,  a  large  square,  well  gra- 
velled, ornamented  with  fine  poplar  trees, 
and  furnished  with  seats  for  the  company 
(resembling  those  in  St.  James's  Park)  forms 
a  parade  for  the  exercise  of  the  troops,  and 
t  for  the  inhabitants  to  promenade  in. 

The  town,  though  still  populous,  is  re- 
duced of  late  years  to  a  smaller  number 
of  inhabitants  than  it  formerly  possessed, 
and  these  are  much  impoverished  from 
their  late  connexion  with  the  French.  As 
they  make  their  fires  with  wood  only,  they 
suffer  grievously  from  the  high  price  it 
bears,  and  the  great  deficiency  of  it  in  the 
neighbourhood.  Owing  to  this  scarcity, 
and  their  being  obliged  to  obtain  fire-wood 
from  a  considerable  distance,  they  have  a 


240  SPAIN. 

method  which  lessens  the  expense  that 
would  otherwise  be  attendant  upon  land 
carnage.  Contractors  supply  the  town 
from  the  woods  of  the  adjacent  mountains, 
by  means  of  the  river,  into  which  logs  are 
thrown  that  float  down  a  certain  way,  when 
their  course  is  turned  by  a  frame-work 
across  the  river  into  a  small  canal,  which 
empties  itself  into  a  lake,  where  the  wood 
is  collected  together,  and  sold  to  the 
people. 

The  government  of  this  town  possesses 
a  more  extended  jurisdiction  than  that  of 
most  others  in  Spain,  and  consists  of  a  go- 
vernor, teniente  rey,  (king's  lieutenant) 
with  an  alkalde,  and  the  usual  inferior  train 
of  officers. 

The  dialect  of  the  inhabitants  appears 
to  border  a  good  deal  upon  the  Basqueueze, 
with  a  considerable  portion  of  the  dialect 
of  the  province.  In  other  parts  of  Na- 
varre, they  mingle  their  dialect  still  more 
with  that  of  Biscay. 


SPAIN*  241 


LETTER  XX. 


Return  to  Logrono — Puente  la  Reyna — Estella — Los 
Arcos — Viand — Disposition  to  faction  among  the 
Spaniards — Enmity  to  the  Priests — Priestcraft — 
Instances  of  Devotion  and  Religious  Enthusiasm — 
Ceremony  of  Christening — Burials — The  Carnival 
— Rejoicings  for  the  Liberation  of  Ferdinand — Cha- 
racter of  the  Spanish  Women. 


Logrono,  February,  1814, 

After  encountering  bad  roads  and  severe 
weather,  in  retracing  my  steps  from  Pam- 
plona to  this  place,  I  have  once  more  taken 
up  my  quarters  in  Logrono.  The  prin- 
cipal places  upon  the  route  hither  are  toler- 
ably good,  for  Spanish  country  towns,  and 
the  comforts  and  civilities  I  received  from 
the  inhabitants,   upon   whom  I  was  quar- 

R 


242  SPAIN. 

tered,  compensated  for  the  miseries  of 
veiling  slowly  through  a  pari  of  the  coun- 
try, which,  though  very  fine  in  fair  weather, 
must  of  course,  lose  a  large  portion  of  its 
attraction  from  the  severity  of  the  season 
at  this  period  of  the  year.  The  first  town 
which  I  stopped  at,  in  my  road  to  this 
place,  Puente  la  Reyna,  is  very  neat  and 
populous,  pleasantly  situated  on  the  banks 
of  the  Ebro,  and  surrounded  by  beau- 
tiful and  picturesque  scenery.  This  town 
is  remarkable  for  the  best  Navarre  wine, 
which  is  superior  in  flavor  and  quality 
to  that  of  any  other  produced  through- 
out the  country,  and  is  to  be  purchased 
at  a  very  reasonable  price. 

Estella,  which  forms  the  next  stage,  is 
also  a  very  respectable  town  ;  and  Los  Ar- 
cos,  though  less  than  either  of  the  former, 
possesses  many  advantages  which  entitle  it 
to  attention :  between  the  latter  and  Lo- 
grono,  upon  a  very  high  hill,  stands  the 
small  and  agreeable  town  of  Viana,  the 
principal  church  of  which  is  a  very  hand- 
some building,  and  throughout  is  very  ela- 


spaix.  243 

borately  decorated.  The  inhabitants  of  all 
these  towns  are  in  better  circumstances 
than  the  generality  of  those  in  the  neigh- 
bouring district,  and  they  uniformly  evince 
very  great  friendship  and  hospitality  to- 
wards the  English. 

The  disposition  to  faction,  and  party 
spirit,  seems  to  be  gathering  strength  in 
Logrono  ;  and  ir  appears,  that  those  who 
support  the  established  abuses  of  the 
Spanish  government  have  pretty  just  rea- 
son for  supposing,  that,  on  our  departure, 
they  will  become  the  victims  of  the  in- 
herent bigotry,  which,  I  am  sorry  to  say, 
appears  generally  to  pervade  the  majority 
of  the  Spanish  nation;  it  not  being  un- 
usual for  mobs  to  collect  in  the  streets  de- 
nouncing those  as  traitors  who  are  favour- 
able to  our  cause. 

Among  the  parties  chiefly  marked  out 
for  persecution  is  the  body  of  the  clergy 
at  large,  all  of  whom,  from  self-interested 
motives,  and  an  adherence  to  the  stronger 
side,  are  of  course  devoted  to  our  cause, 
it  2 


24i  SrAIN. 

The  peasants  and  labourers,  emancipated 
from  the  tyrannical  laws  of  their  old  go- 
vernment, and  the  terrors  of  the  inquisi- 
tion, naturally  give  their  opinions  with  a 
degree  of  violence  proportioned  to  the 
restraint  under  which  they  had  so  long  suf- 
fered, and  with  a  confidence,  which  in 
former  days  would  have  subjected  them  to 
the  most  dreadful  ecclesiastical  visitations. 
Their  proceedings,  as  you  may  well  sup- 
pose, are  very  galling  to  the  priests,  who, 
being  anxious  to  restore  their  former  power, 
take  part  with  one  side  or  the  other,  ac- 
cording as  either  may  possess  the  greater 
preponderance  to  enforce  their  preten- 
sions. 

It  is,  however,  most  sincerely  to  be 
hoped,  for  the  interests  of  humanity,  that 
the  dangers  attendant  upon  priestcraft  are 
not  likely  to  take  place  again  very  speedily; 
and  that  the  inquisition,  so  repugnant  to 
the  best  feelings  of  human  nature,  and  so 
subversive  of  all  social  enjoyments,  is  now 
permanently  abolished.  If  ever  their  ex- 
iled monarch  be  permitted  to  revisit   his 


spain.  245 

native  land,  it  is  natural  to  suppose,  and 
sincerely  to  be  desired,  that  he  will  have 
learnt  in  the  school  of  adversity,  to  which 
he  has  been  exposed,  a  degree  of  liberality, 
sufficient  to  induce  him  to  act  upon  some- 
what more  lenient  and  enlightened  princi- 
ples, than  those  which  he  might  have  been 
inclined  to  adopt,  before  disappointment 
and  misfortune  had  opened  his  mind  to  the 
strong  and  indefeisible  rights  of  man. — 
Should  the  priests,  instead  of  their  former 
violent  and  intolerant  behaviour,  be  led, 
from  the  circumstances  of  the  times,  to  pur- 
sue a  different  line  of  conduct  from  that 
which  they  have  been  accustomed  to  follow; 
and,  like  their  great  master,  consider  humi- 
lity and  forbearance  as  a  better  means  of 
subduing  the  passions  of  men,  than  violence 
and  torture,  in  all  probability  they  will 
soon  reap  the  benefits  which  are  ever  at- 
tendant on  reason  and  moderation,  not 
only  in  regard  to  individual  advantage,  but 
also  to  that  of  the  nation  at  large.  Were 
it  possible,  from  what  has  recently  occurred, 
to  produce  any  thing  like  a  system  of  this 
nature,  Spain  would  have  no  reason  to  re- 


246  Spain. 

gret  the  sacrifices  she  has  made,  nor  the 
dreadful. loss  of  blood  and  treasure  which 
she  has  expended,  during  the  lafce  ..ierilous 
struggle.  She  has  been,  indeeu,  plunged 
deeply  in  wretchedness,  but  it  has  taught 
her,  or  ought  to  have  done  so,  a  valuable 
lesson,  from  which  she  will  in  all  proba- 
bility derive  great  ultimate  benefit. 

I  have  occasionally  given  you  some  anec- 
dotes respecting  the  extent  to  which  the 
craftiness  of  the  priests  is  carried,  in  main- 
taining the  great  weight,  authority,  and  in- 
fluence they  possess  over  the  minds  of  the 
ignorant  and  bigotted  people;  and  of  which 
perhaps,  the  following  fact,  which  occurred 
to  one  of  the  principal  inhabitants  of  this 
town,  furnishes  a  striking  example.  An 
individual,  possessing  a  large  fortune,  and 
some  consideration  in  the  place,  and,  who 
had  in  consequence,  been  very  closely  and 
piously  attended  by  every  description  of 
religious  orders;  and  who,  according  to  the 
usual  custom,  had  rested  the  salvation  of  his 
soul  upon  the  opinions  of  ecclesiastics,  be- 
queathed a  coach  to  the  church,  adapted  for 


SPAIN'. 


£47 


the  sole  purpose  of  carrying  the  host,  re- 
ligiously  stylo  I  ,  tie  carriage  of  God;  upon 
s.oi    riiich  are  displayed  a  repre- 

se  r  iti  of  tl  v  Deity,  tlie  heavens,  angels 
&  c.  None  but  a  priest  dare  sit  in  this  car- 
[ ,  and  the  man  who  drives  it  is  bare- 
headed in  all  states  of  the  weather;  while 
the  family  to  which  it  belongs  pride  them- 
selves extremely  upon  this  sacred  vehicle, 
every  member  of  which  is,  in  consequence, 
considered  as  possessing  great  claims  to 
piety  in  the  estimation  of  the  commu- 
nity. 

Another  instance  of  devotion  and  enthu- 
siasm I  shall  now  mention,  which  actually 
happened  in  this  place,  and  which,  occur- 
ring from  the  same  spirit,  might  have  pro- 
duced effects  of  a  very  tragical  nature.— 
A  solemn  mass  was  performed  for  the  re- 
pose of  the  souls  of  those  heroes  who  had 
tallen  in  battle.  An  altar  was  raised  in  the 
aisle  of  the  church,  adorned  with  funeral 
and  warlike  trophies,  and  a  quantity  of 
swords  were  suspended  round  it-  In  the 
evening  of  the  day  of  the  ceremony,  a  mob 


24S  SPAIN. 

collected,  and  repaired  to  the  house  of  the 
Spanish  commandant,  entreating  his  per- 
mission to  gratify  the  holy  and  loyal  zeal 
with  which  it  was  animated,  by  rushing  to 
the  church,  seizing  the  arms  which  rested 
upon  the  altar,  and  plunging  them  into  the 
bosoms  of  every  one  whom  they  chose  to 
deem  a  traitor  to  the  cause.  The  pusilani- 
mity  of  the  commandant  had  nearly  caused 
this  barbarous  project  to  be  executed  liter- 
ally. But  the  timely  interference  of  the 
more  reflecting,  and  better-disposed  part 
of  the  citizens,  prevented  the  horrible  car- 
nage that  might  otherwise  have  ensued. 

Stationed  as  I  am,  at  one  place,  and  very 
likely  to  remain  so  for  some  time  longer,  I 
shall  take  up  the  various  circumstances 
which  are  daily  occurring,  without  any  par- 
ticular regard  to  the  order  in  which  they 
may  present  themselves. 

A  few  days  ago,  I  was  at  a  Spanish 
christening,  which  of  all  the  church  cere- 
monies that  I  have  witnessed,  is  assuredly, 
the  most  absurd  and  ridiculous.     The  ii> 


Spain.  249 

fant  is  so  hauled  and  pulled  about  that  it 
really  seems  to  be  in  danger  of  suffocation, 
not  to  mention  the  extreme  risk  it  incurs  of 
being  poisoned  or  drowned.  The  family- 
party  goes  to  the  church  dressed  very 
finely,  and  the  child  is  decked  from  top  to 
toe  with  every  description  of  finery,  though 
judging  from  what  I  have  witnessed,  the 
unfortunate  sufferer  does  not  seem  greatly 
to  enjoy  its  "  vests  and  tunics."  Crosses 
are  marked  with  sweet-oil  upon  its  neck  and 
face,  and  salt  is  put  into  its  ears  and  mouth ; 
the  greater  part  of  its  clothes  are  then  re- 
moved, and  a  large  chalice  of  cold  water 
is  soused  upon  its  head,  Which  is  held  over 
the  font ;  ceremonies,  which,  as  you  may 
easily  imagine,  the  devoted  little  creature 
combats  to  the  utmost  ofitsfaculties,  making 
tiie  most  outrageous  squalling,  till  the  mise- 
ries it  endures  absolutely  deprive  it  of  the 
power  of  farther  resistance.  After  under- 
going a  change  in  its  dress,  it  is  made  to  hold 
a  wax  taper,  about  five  feet  in  height,  to  a 
painting  of  the  Virgin  ;  which  ceremony 
being  over,  a  kind  of  jig  is  played  upon  the 
organ,  in  honor  of  the  new-made  Christian. 


2oO  SPAIN1. 

The  friends  then  depart,  casting  copper 
pieces  among  the  crowd  of  boys  assembled 
round  the  church  door  to  await  the  ex- 
pected scramble. 

The  ceremonies  of  burial  differ  material- 
ly from  ours,  and  are  not  wholly  devoid  of 
solemnity,  of  which,  however,  the  many  in- 
stances of  superstition  accompanying  them 
greatly  diminish  the  force.  A  procession 
(and  nothing  can  be  done  without  one) 
goes  from  the  church,  attended  by  priests 
in  their  robes,  and  a  train  of  assistants 
carrying  large  lights,  banners,  paintings, 
crosses  &c.  suitable  to  the  occasion,  and 
chanting  as  they  pass  along  to  the  house  of 
the  deceased.  The  body  is  thence  carried 
to  the  church,  where  a  requiem  is  per- 
formed over  it,  and  it  is  then  interred. 

The  funeral  of  a  rich  man  is  very  splen- 
did, and  attended  by  a  larger  concourse  of 
people  than  is  usual  among  the  lower 
classes.  The  relations  and  friends  of  the 
deceased  do  not  attend,  though  in  some 
instances,  where  more  state  is  observed,  the. 


SPAIN.  251 

domestics  join  the  procession,  in  which 
case  they  are  dressed  in  their  best  liveries, 
and  carry  large  lighted  candles  in  their 
hands. 

The  Spaniards  have  a  disgusting  cus- 
tom, when  a  poor  person  dies  who  cannot 
afford  to  pay  the  expences  of  a  funeral, 
of  exposing  the  body  at  the  door  of  an 
house,  and  a  plate  is  placed  upon  its 
breast,  to  receive  the  contributions  of 
the  passengers,  to  defray  the  charges  of 
burial. 

The  priests  and  others,  who  are  in  daily 
terror  of  popular  commotions,  have  been 
long  dreading  the  carnival ;  which,  how- 
ever, has  passed  off  without  any  violence 
being  offered  them  ;  though  some  of  their 
windows  have  suffered,  and  a  few  of  the 
more  unpopular  have  had  the  alarming  sa- 
tisfaction of  seeing  themselves  represented 
dangling  from  a  gallows  upon  the  walls, 
or  burning  in  effigy  opposite  their  win- 
dows. The  carnival  has  lasted  three  days, 
and  the  great  concourse  of  people  which 


252  spaik. 

thronged  the  streets  was  kept  in  awe  by  a 
party  of  the  Spanish  foot-guards,  that 
marched  into  the  town  for  the  express  pur- 
pose. Pantomimes  and  processions,  illus- 
trative of  the  times,  furnished  the  chief 
morning  amusements,  and  fire-works  and 
illuminations  those  of  the  night.  A  figure 
of  Buonaparte  was  carried  about,  striding 
a  large  globe,  which  was  afterwards  burnt 
with  great  eclat.  The  populace,  during 
these  festivities,  took  occasion  to  pass  a  sin- 
gular piece  of  justice  and  slur  upon  the 
priests,  which  no  doubt  caused  the  latter 
to  lament  very  feelingly  the  loss  of  the  In- 
quisition. Men  dressed  in  the  garb  of  the 
curas,  ornamented  with  horns  and  feet 
resembling  those  with  which  Satan  is  usu- 
ally depicted,  pranced  about  the  streets 
in  all  directions,  with  vases  of  incense 
burning  in  their  hands.  A  second  effigy 
of  Buonaparte  was  placed  in  a  chair  upon 
an  high  pole;  and  another  of  King  Ferdi- 
nand sat  in  a  neighbouring  balcony,  sup- 
ported by  the  British  lion  upon  his  right, 
which,  at  a  given  signal,  was  moved  for- 
wards upon  a  line  to  the  tip  of  one  of  Buo- 


spaix.  £53 

naparte's  boots,  spitting  fire  from  its  nos- 
trils, and   communicating  with  the  figure 
exploded  a  variety  of  fire-works,  each  leg 
and  arm  being  blown  off  separately,  till  at 
length  the  whole  of  the  body,  chair,   and 
the  various  paraphernalia  were  destroyed, 
to  the  great  admiration  of  the  populace. 
Among    the   various   amusements   of  the 
carnival,  one  of  the  most  frequent  pleasan- 
tries in  which  the  Spaniards  delight  to  in- 
dulge themselves,  is  throwing  handfuls  of 
flour  about  at  each  other,  and  filling  their 
mouths  with  water,  in  order  to  spit  it  into 
the  faces  of  the  bye-standers.     This  joke, 
though  apparently  much  relished  by  the 
natives,  did  not  appear  to  be  equally  so  by 
their    English    friends.     The   playing   the 
hohlee,  an  entertainment  among  the   Ma- 
rhattas,  which  I  have  seen  described  in  a 
work  recently  published   relative   to  that 
people,  seems  to  bear  a  great  resemblance 
to  this  custom  ;  though  the  latter  nation, 
on  these  occasions,  employing  syringes  in- 
stead of  their   mouths,  renders  the  game 
more  decent  and  less  objectionable;    parti- 
cularly when  we  consider,  that  from   the 


254  SPAIN. 

habits  of  the  Spaniards,  the  water  which 
they  spout  forth  must  be  pretty  highly 
flavored  with  garlic,  and  other  fragrant 
odours. 

A  few  d^ys  after  the  intelligence  ar- 
rived of  the  liberation  of  Ferdinand,  which 
excited  great  commotion  among  the  peo- 
ple, the  town  was  again  illuminated,  and 
lire-works  displayed,  while  the  effigy  of 
the  King  was  drawn  about  the  streets, 
seated  in  a  phaeton,  and  attended  by  a 
band  of  music  and  a  guard  of  honor. 

A  short  time  will  show  whether  the 
conduct  of  Ferdinand  will  justify  these  re- 
joicings ;  for  my  own  part  I  fear,  that, 
like  most  other  monarchs  placed  under  his 
peculiar  circumstances,  he  is  more  like- 
ly to  recollect  what  he  has  been,  than  de- 
rive any  advantage  from  the  hard,  though 
unpalatable  lessons  which  misfortune  might 
have  taught  more  humble  individuals  ;  for, 
from  what  I  have  heard  of  his  character,  I 
greatly  apprehend  that  he  is  likely  to  be 
guided  in  his  future   government  by   the 


SPAIN.       f  2j>> 

direction  of  the  priests,  and  those  who  are 
interested  in  suppressing  that  spirit  of  li- 
berty and  information,  which,  from  a  va- 
riety of  causes  has  lately  been  engendered 
among  the  people. 

I  must  now  begin  to  think  of  closing 
my  remarks  upon  this  country,  as  we  :.re 
about  to  enter  France  ;  and  for  many  rea- 
sons that  will  be  obvious  to  you,  I  hope  I 
am  not  likely  to  visit  it  again,  at  least  not 
till  the  country  is  placed  under  more  aus- 
picious circumstances.  I  must,  however, 
while  I  condemn  the  Spaniards,  not  be  un- 
derstood to  apply  my  censure  universally. 
The  fairer  half  of  the  nation  certainly 
claims  exemption  ;  for,  with  a  little  polish 
from  more  refined  education  than  is  at 
present  within  their  reach,  I  cannot  con- 
ceive (from  the  little  observation  I  have 
been  able  to  make  among  the  better 
classes,)  a  more  agreeable,  fascinating,  and 
beautiful  race  of  females.  They  appear  to 
me  to  differ  very  little  from  the  Portuguese 
women  in  any  respect,  and  if  a  distinction 
exists,  the  superiority  rests  with  the  former. 


256  si'Aix. 

Their  dress  is  becoming  and  simple,  con- 
sisting principally  of  the  black  gowns  and 
lace  mantillas  worn  by  the  Portuguese 
ladies.  In  their  disposition  they  are  by  no 
means  inclined  to  distance  and  reserve. 
On  the  contrary,  their  principal  failing 
consists  in  a  species  of  lightness  and  co- 
quettishness  of  manner  ;  which,  in  their  in- 
tercourse with  the  English,  often  affords 
but  too  solid  grounds  for  those  feelings  of 
suspicion  and  jealousy  inherent  in  the  Spa- 
nish character. 


PRANCE.  257 


LETTER  XXI. 


March  into  France — Natural  Advantages  of  the 
North-Eastern  parts  of  Spain — Olives,  c]'c. — St. 
Jean  de  Luz — Picturesque  Scenery  around  French 
Biscay,  and  the  small  Pyrenees — Peculiarities  of 
the  Basques,  their  Language  <Sc 


St.  Jean  de  Luz,  March,  181 1. 

I  hough  I  am  now  breathing  French  air, 
I  do  not  perceive  that  gay  and  lively  effect 
which  is  so  generally  ascribed  to  it ;  but  I 
•am  determined  not  to  be  disappointed,  for 
notwithstanding  appearances  are  somewhat 
unfavourable  at  present,  they  will  moat  pro- 
bably mend;  as  any  considerable  change 
in  these  respects  cannot  now  be  fairly  ex- 
pected, from  the  extreme  wetness  of  the 
weather,  accompanied  by  cold  and  violent 
March  winds,  together  with    heavy  roads. 


25S  FRANCE. 

and  all  the  train  of  evils  attendant  upon 
the  breaking  up  of  a  severe  winter ;  while 
the  long  presence  of  two  powerful  con- 
tending armies  has  by  no  means  tended  to 
diminish  those  inconveniencies.  On  the 
18th  of  March  we  quitted  Logrono,to  the 
great  sorrow,  I  believe,  of  a  few  of  the  in- 
habitants, who,  from  our  long  residence 
among  them,  felt  a  certain  degree  of  inte- 
rest in  the  prolongation  of  our  stay;  though 
with  respect  to  the  generality,  I  have  rea- 
son to  believe  that  the  satisfaction  of  a 
parting  scene  was  nearly  reciprocal.  In 
the  first  instance  we  followed  the  route 
through  Vitoria,  by  Briones,  Aro,  and 
La  Puebla  ;  and  from  the  former  town  we 
pursued  the  ?  camino  real  a  Francia,'  or 
high  road  to  Bayonne.  To  Vitoria  the 
road  was  new  to  me,  never  having  before 
traversed  that  part  of  the  country.  The 
scenery  during  this  portion  of  our  route  was- 
tor  the  most  part  exceedingly  picturesque, 
and,  though  mountainous,  very  fertile  and 
woody,  while  the  Ebro  meandered  through, 
the  vallies  in  a  very  interesting  and  beau- 
tiful manner.     The  heights  of  La  Puebla, 


FRANCE.  259 

celebrated  from  the  circumstances  of  the 
glorious  21st  of  June,  appeared  at  a  dis- 
tance, crowned  with  snow.  Vines  and 
olive-trees  were  found  in  greater  abun- 
dance than  in  any  other  part  of  the  coun- 
try through  which  we  have  passed.  Bri- 
ones  is  a  neat,  pretty  little  town,  built  on 
the  summit  of  an  high  hill,  with  suburbs 
extending  below  it,  and  though  its  streets 
are  narrow,  they  are  nevertheless  clean, 
and  furnished  with  good  houses.  An  open 
space  is  left  in  the  centre  of  the  town 
where  the  best  houses  are  situated,  and  it 
commands  a  fine  and  extensive  prospect. 
Were  it  possible  to  combine  the  comforts 
and  refinements  of  England  with  the  na- 
tural advantages  of  the  north-eastern  pro- 
vinces of  Spain,  they  would  form  the  most 
enchanting  country  to  inhabit  which  I  can 
conceive  ;  but,  the  manners  and  customs 
of  the  Spaniards,  the  wretched  state  of  so- 
ciety, and  their  ignorance  and  bigotr)T, 
combine  to  render  at  once,  what  would 
otherwise  ensure  a  large  proportion  of  en- 
joyment, a  subject  merely  for  passing  ad- 
miration and  lasting  regret, 
s  2 


260  FRANCE. 

The  climate  is  of  all  others  the  most 
genial,  being  less  variable  than  that  of  Eng- 
land, yet,  by  no  means  monotonous,  equally 
removed  from  the  intense  extremes  of  more 
northern  and  southern  latitudes.  In  this 
delightful  region,  the  sportsman  may  rind 
abundant  sources  of  health  and  amuse- 
ment, without  incurring  any  of  the  dan- 
gerous risks  arising  from  violent  exercise 
and  exposure  in  more  hot  and  oppressive 
climates.  Foxes,  hares,  partridges,  wood- 
cocks, snipes  &c.  are  to  be  met  with  in 
great  numbers. 

The  village  of  La  Puebla  is,  in  itself, 
small,  and  not  attractive,  but  the  neigh- 
bouring country  is  highly  so,  and  very  pro- 
ductive in  corn,  vines,  olives  &c.  The 
latter  are  smaller,  and  less  flavored  than 
those  grown  in  the  southern  provinces. — 
They  are  gathered  in  during  the  autumn, 
and  form  a  portion  of  the  Spanish  diet,  the 
oil  expressed  from  them  being  the  principal 
source  of  emolument  to  the  proprietors  of 
olive-groves.  The  superfluous  branches  of 
the  trees,  as  Well  as  those  of  vines  &c.  are 


FRANCE.  261 

burnt  to  a  kind  of  charcoal,  which  is  then 
chopped  into  small  pieces,  and  sold  under 
the  name  of  tirso*,  and  being  placed  in  a 
copper  vessel,  or  brasero,  is  used  for  the 
warming  of  rooms,  fire-places  not  being 
generally  adopted  in  this  or  any  other  part 
of  Spain. 

Upon  the  road  between  Briones  and  La 
Puebla  stands  a  very  neat  town  called 
Aro,  which  we  passed  through  without 
halting,  and  following  our  march  from 
Yitoria,  we  pursued  the  Bayonne  road  al- 
ready described  in  a  former  letter.  The 
weather,  at  this  period  became  cold  and 
showery,  as  we  approached  the  pyrenees. 
From  Alegria,  a  little  dirty  town,  forming 
our  last  stage  in  Spain,  we  marched  on  to 
St.  Jean  de  Luz,  whence,  not  finding  ac- 
commodations for  the  horses,  we  were 
obliged,  though  the  night  was  dark  and 
far  advanced,  to  proceed  a  few  miles  far- 
ther to  neighbouring  villages,  and  midnight 
arrived  before  we  could  get  billetted,  after 

*  The  stem  of  a  plant. 


£$£  FRANCE. 

a  long  and  tiresome  journey  of  nearly  fifty 
miles,  through  heavy  roads  and  indifferent 
weather.  Towards  the  latter  part  of  the 
march,  the  weather  however  moderated, 
and  enabled  us  the  better  to  enjoy  the 
fine  scenery  of  the  frontiers,  and  around 
the  pass  through  the  small  pyrenees. 

The  whole  of  the  border  country  con- 
sists of  one  uninterrupted  range  of  moun- 
tains, through  which  the  Eayonne  road  is 
cut,  and  which,  upon  the  Spanish  side,  is 
in  very  bad  order.  The  last  town,  on  the 
right  bank  of  the  Bidassoa,  through  which 
we  passed,  is  Yrun,  a  small,  dirty,  and  con- 
fined place.  The  houses,  notwithstanding, 
are  apparently  comfortable,  and  their  win- 
dows and  doors  in  better  condition  than 
usual.  The  inhabitants  are  composed  of 
a  pretty  equal  mixture  of  French  and 
Spanish. 

After  gaining  the  summit  of  the  hills 
through  the  pass,  an  extensive  prospect 
presents  itself  of  a  large  portion  of  the 
coast   of   both    countries  j    in   which  the 


FRANCE.  26$ 

mouths  of  the  Bidassoa  river,  with  rich 
meadow  lands  upon  the  French  side,  and 
seven'  Sffi  «ll  towns  and  villages,  together 
with  the  a&cient  fortress  >i  Fuenterrabia 
overhanging  tne  sea,  form  the  most  dis- 
tinguished features.  This  fortress  is  very 
strong,  and  its  ramparts  are  surmounted 
bv  a  1  dfty  castle.  One  of  the  principal  pro- 
ductions of  this  part  of  the  country  is 
cyder ;  and  in  consequence,  extensive  or- 
chards, well-stocked  with  apple-trees,  every 
where  abound,  among  which,  a  dwarfish 
kind  bears  most  prolifically,  the  fruit  being 
of  a  ruddy  colour,  and  is  that  which  is 
chiefly  used  for  the  making  of  cyder. 

After  passing  the  bridge,  recently  erected 
for  the  passage  of  our  troops,  we  arrived 
for  the  first  time  upon  French  ground,  by 
the  route  of  the  Bayonne  road  ;  which  runs 
over  an  hill  from  the  left  bank  of  the  river, 
and  commands  an  extensive  and  beautiful 
view  of  the  sea  and  coast  upon  one  side, 
and  the  great  chain  of  the  pyrenees  on  the 
other.  It  being  late  in  the  evening  when 
we  entered  France,  the  surrounding  pros- 
pect  was  soon  shut  from  our  view. 


I(>1  FRANCE. 

Since  we  have  been  in  this  neighbour- 
hood, the  weather  (usually  wet  in  these 
mountainous  regions)  has  afforded  me  but 
few  opportunities  of  gratifying  my  curio- 
sity, by  observing  the  novel  and  interest- 
ing scenery  around  :  I  have,  however,  suc- 
ceeded in  one  or  two  instances  between 
the  showers,  in  rambling  about  St.  Jean  de 
Luz  and  the  adjacent  hills.  The  former 
is,  at  this  time,  crowded  to  excess,  from  its 
being  the  head-quarters  of  most  of  the  staff, 
and  the  consequent  resort  of  its  innumer- 
able followers.  The  place  itself  is  exten- 
sive and  very  populous.  The  houses,  in 
general,  are  of  a  mean  size,  with  but  very 
few  exceptions;  yet  they,  notwithstanding, 
excel  most  materially  even  those  of  more 
imposing  Spanish  towns,  in  the  superior  air 
of  comfort  and  neatness  which  they  possess. 
Windows  with  unbroken  panes  of  glass,  and 
furnished  with  proper  shutters,  and  doors 
made  air  tight ;  together  with  a  frequent 
custom  of  white-washing  the  walls  of  the 
houses,  and  painting  the  window-shutters 
and  doors  green,  render  them  obviously 
preferable  to  the  more  lofty  and  spacious 


FRANCE.  265 

mansions  of  the  Spaniards;  who  are,  in  ge- 
neral, strangers  to  the  above  comforts,  and, 
with  the  vilest  taste,  paint  the  walls  of  their 
houses,  doors  &c.  with  hideous  and  fan- 
tastic designs,  in  ill-combined  and  glaring 
colours.  This  peculiar  neatness  I  have  de- 
scribed in  the  style  of  their  houses  is  cha- 
racteristic of  the  Basques,  and  prevails,  I 
am  told,  throughout  their  territory. 

During  rine  weather  St.  Jean  de  Luz 
may  no  doubt  assume  a  more  lively  and 
agreeable  air  than  it  does  just  now,  owing 
to  the  bustle  of  trade,  and  quantity  of  ship- 
ping in  the  harbour.  This  flourishing 
town  is  extremely  well  supplied  by  an 
abundant,  though  at  present  expensive 
market,  and  hotels,  cafes,  restaurateurs  &c. 
are  almost  as  numerous  as  Sterne's  barber's 
shops  in  Paris,  and  seem  to  command  an 
almost  equally  extensive  practice.  Every 
description  of  sutlers  appear  to  have  set- 
tled in  this  place,  who,  from  supplying  the 
necessities  of  the  army,  of  course  derive  a 
pretty  thriving  trade. 

The  country  surrounding   St.   Jean  de 


2<ii)  FRANCE. 

Luz,  and  its  neighbourhood,  is  beyond  mea- 
sure fine  and  picturesque.  The  pyrenees 
and  lesser  hills,  with  the  vallies  formed  be- 
tween them,  constitute  altogether  a  most 
beautiful  and  interesting  country;  nor  are 
the  attractions  of  this  delightful  region  con- 
fined to  inanimate  objects  alone,  for  the 
personal  appearance,  manners,  and  charac- 
ter of  the  people  are  at  least,  equal  to  the 
natural  advantages  of  the  territory  they  in- 
habit. The  whole  race,  indeed,  is  of  so 
novel  and  singular  a  description,  that  I 
should  not  feel  myself  justified  in  passing  it 
over,  withont  giving  you  a  somewhat  par- 
ticular insight  into  the  customs  and  habits 
of  this  peculiar  tribe. 

Throughout  the  whole  of  the  Basque 
country  nothing  can  exceed  the  strength 
and  symmetry  of  the  men,  and  the  graceful 
beauty  of  the  women.  These  people  are 
perfectly  different  in  their  habits  and  man- 
ners, as  well  as  in  person  and  costume, 
from  every  other  race  of  men  I  have  hi- 
therto seen.  The  style  of  their  features  is 
usually  aquiline  ;  they,  in  common,  wear 


FRANCE.  267 

their  hair  long,  flowing  in  curls  over  their 
shoulders;  aud  upon  their  heads  the  pea- 
santry invariably  place  a  small  blue  bonnet, 
precisely  resembling  that  worn  by  the 
Scotish  highlanders.  Their  necks  and 
breasts  are  generally  bare,  and  they  wear 
a  blue  or  brown  jacket  open,  and  their 
breeches  loose  at  the  knees,  and  made  to 
sit  easily  about  the  hips.  Their  legs  are 
usually  bare,  though  they  occasionally 
use  gaiters  (mostly  of  leather),  furnished 
with  a  great  number  of  buttons.  They  all 
carry  a  small  stick,  curiously  worked,  upon 
which  they  greatly  pride  themselves ;  and 
this  they  use  for  defence,  as  well  as  to  assist 
them  in  climbing  the  tremendous  precipices 
of  the  country,  a  task  which  they  perform 
with  a  degree  of  rapidity  and  agility  perfect- 
ly surprising.  They  are  capable  of  sustain- 
ing great  bodily  exertions  and  privations, 
and  are  in  the  habit  of  undertaking  almost 
incredible  journies  on  foot.  They  are  much 
addicted  to  smoking,  and  indeed  are  rarely 
seen  without  a  pipe.  Nothing  can  exceed 
the  goodness  of  disposition  which  the 
Basques  in  general  possess,  and  they  seem 


26  £  TRANCE. 

to  be  quite  free  from  all  the  predomi- 
nant vices  of  the  Spanish  character  They 
live  a  simple  life  of  happiness  and  content, 
and  being  fortunately  placed  in  a  country 
standing  in  need  of  little  or  no  cultivation 
to  produce  the  common  necessaries  of  life, 
the  means  of  supporting  a  family  are  within 
the  reach  of  every  one :  a  circumstance 
that  promotes  early  marriages,  and  in  con- 
sequence, numerous  families  of  hardy  and 
robust  children  are  produced. 

The  vallies  of  the  pyrenees  are  peculiarly 
fertile,  abounding  in  picturesque  views, 
which,  together  with  the  stupendous  pre- 
cipices, reminded  me  of  Johnson's  descrip- 
tion of  the  happy  valley  in  Rasselas. 

The  Basques  affirm  their  language  to  be 
the  most  ancient  in  the  world,  and  the  ori- 
ginal one  before  the  confusion  at  Babel. 
That  it  is  in  a  great  degree  an  original  lan- 
guage I  have  no  doubt,  but  whether  it  be  of 
such  ancient  origin  as  is  pretended,  is  a 
question  I  am  not  prepared  to  go  into. 
Certainly  among  the  towns  at  short  dis- 


FRANCE.  269 

tances  from  that  part  of  the  country  called 
the  Basque,  winch  must  have  considerable 
intercourse  with  those  of  the  latter,  the  peo- 
ple are  known  not  to  be  able  to  pronounce 
the  Basqueueze  language  like  the  Basques 
themselves. 

In  addition  to  their  various  natural  pecu- 
liarities,   the  inhabitants  of    the     Basque 
country  enjoy  certain  privileges  extremely 
valuable.     They  are  not  subject   to  many 
of  the   laws  of  Spain,  especially  those  re- 
lating   to    taxation.      Both    Spanish    and 
French  Biscay,  are  in  a  manner,  indepen- 
dent, and  not  tributary  to  the  monarchs  of 
either  country  ;  their  territory  being  a  prin- 
cipality or  signiory  (as  it  is  called),  of  it- 
self.     The  tract   possessing  these  advan- 
tages and  peculiarities  extends  from  Biscay 
to  the  neighbourhood  of  Bourdeaux,  includ- 
ing a  district  around  Bayonne  and  the  Py- 
renees.     But,  from  the  necessary  mixture 
of  people,  the  dialect  in  use  is  consequently 
as  various  as  the  inhabitants;  which,  by  the 
union  of  the  Gasconne  with  theBasqueueze, 
produces  a  species  of  patois.     While,  how- 


270  FRANCE. 

ever,  the  language  becomes  mixed,  the 
characteristic  distinction  of  the  people  re- 
mains unaltered.  A  native  Basque  is  readi- 
ly known  from  a  Gasconne,  from  the  great 
superiority  of  person  which  the  former  pos- 
sesses over  the  latter. 

If  you  have  any  curiosity  to  study  the 
Basque  language,  I  am  told  the  best  book 
upon  the  subject  is  a  dictionary  by  Lara- 
mendi,  a  Jesuit,  in  which  the  Basqueueze, 
Castillian,  and  Latin  are  compared.  It  is 
a  rare  and  difficult  book  to  be  procured. 

The  features  of  the  women  are  what  we 
should  term  Grecian,  theii  limbs  are  finely 
turned  and  robust,  and  they  wear  their 
hair  turned  back  from  the  forehead,  and  (as 
I  before  observed)  platted  into  a  long  queue, 
fastened  at  the  bottom  by  a  bow  of  riband. 
Their  dress  is  simple  and  becoming.  Those 
who  live  in  towns  usually  place  an  hand- 
kerchief over  the  head  and  tie  it  under  the 
chin,  and  often  add  a  short  scarlet  cloak, 
with  an  hood,  similar  to  the  Welch  wittle. 


In  this  neighbourhood  there  is  a  remark- 


FRANCE.  271 

able  mountain  at  the  Penade  Haya,  the  ex- 
treme left  of  the  pyreaees,  which  is  called 
the  mountain  of  five  crowns.  One  part  of 
it  is  split  at  its  summit  into  the  shape  of  a 
bishop's  mitre,  on  which  the  Basques  in- 
sist, that  the  ark  remained  when  the  waters 
subsided,  producing  this  cleft  by  its  pres- 
sure. 


272  FRANCE. 


LETTER  XXII. 


Neighbourhood  of    Bayonne—Peyrehorade  and  ad- 
joining Country — Salmon  Fishery. 


Peyrehorade,  March,  1811. 

As  soon  as  two  or  three  days  halting  had 
given  time  to  repair  the  inconveniencies  at- 
tendant upon  a  long  march,  through  bad 
roads,  we  continued  to  advance  more  into 
the  interior  of  the  country,  following  the 
route  of  the  army  towards  Toulouse.  Ba- 
yonne  being  possessed  by  the  enemy,  and 
the  high  road  passing  too  near  to  the  walls 
of  the  town,  made  it  necessary  for  us  to 
pursue  our  way  through  by-roads  and 
lanes,  deemed  by  the  natives  (especially  at 


FRANCE.  £73 

this  season  of  the  year)  absolutely  impass- 
able ;  and  it  excited  no  small  degree  of 
astonishment,  when  they  beheld  a  brigade 
wading  through  mud  in  many  places  up  to 
the  horses'  bellies,  with  occasional  deep 
holes,  that  rendered  the  march  both  diffi- 
cult and  dangerous;  nor  was  it  till  we  re- 
gained the  high  road  that  any  other  species 
of  ground  was  met  with. 

Before  we  entered  this  town  nothing  but 
small  detached  villages  presented  them- 
selves, with  a  few  old  chateaus  deserted  bv 
their  rightful  owners,  and  divested  of  every 
thing  resembling  their  ancient  hospitality. 
Upon  our  march  to  the  village  of  Biarotte 
we  crossed  the  river  Adour,  so  conspicu- 
ous in  the  history  of  this  campaign  for  the 
many  difficulties  overcome  in  the  recent 
passage  of  our  troops  over  it,  at  a  season 
of  the  year  when  the  rapidity  of  the  stream, 
swollen  by  the  wintry  torrents,  was  consi- 
dered as  an  insurmountable  obstacle  to  our 
advance,  on  the  part  of  the  enemy.  At 
the  time  we  crossed  the  river  the  floods 
had  subsided,  and  a  bridge  of  boats,  since 

T 


27^  FRANCE. 

erected,  secured  an  easy  passage  to  the  bri- 
gade. After  passing  this  bridge,  and  a 
strong  and  well-built  pier,  extending  a 
considerable  way  along  the  side  of  the  ri- 
ver, forming  a  communication  with  the 
high  road,  a  line  view  is  obtained  of  Bay- 
onne  about  two  miles  inland.  As  far  as  I 
could  judge  from  this  distance,  it  appeared 
to  be  a  well  fortified  town  with  a  strong 
castle  in  its  centre.  Around  this  neigh- 
bourhood there  are  extensive  and  barren 
plains  of  sand,  upon  the  banks  of  the 
Adour.  After  crossing  these,  and  wading 
through  a  succession  of  muddy  lanes,  it 
afforded  us  no  small  gratification  to  find 
ourselves  once  again  on  the  high  road, 
which,  however,  the  late  rains,  and  the 
passing  armies,  had  reduced  generally  to  a 
very  indifferent  state.  Our  arrival  at  the 
neat,  small,  and  highly  civilized  town  of 
Peyrehorade,  gave  us  no  small  satisfaction ; 
and  the  weather  clearing  up,  afforded  more 
cheering  prospects  of  this  delightful  coun- 
try than  we  had  hitherto  witnessed.  This 
town  lies  upon  the  banks  of  the  Adour, 
and  the    surrounding    country  again   be- 


FRANCE.  275 

comes  fertile  and  interesting.  This  is  the 
first  completely  French  town  I  have  been 
in,  and,  compared  with  those  of  Spain  in 
general,  forms  a  striking  contrast;  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  people,  streets,  and  houses, 
affording  ideas  of  a  degree  of  comfort  and 
civilization  rarely  to  be  observed  in  the 
latter.  Peyrehorade  is  celebrated  for  its 
salmon,  which  abound  in  the  river  adja- 
cent. A  mode  of  fishing  for  them  has 
been  of  late  years  invented,  equally  novel 
and  ingenious.  At  different  points  of  the 
river  a  pair  of  large  fans,  of  hollowed  net- 
work, are  made  to  dip  alternately  in  the 
stream  in  performing  a  rotatory  motion. 
A  number  of  fish  are  in  consequence  en- 
snared, and,  when  arrived  at  a  certain  ele- 
vation, are  propelled  through  a  short  pas- 
sage, constructed  for  the  purpose,  into  a 
cylindrical  frame  of  net-work,  and  thence 
into  a  kind  of  box,  so  constructed  as  to  in- 
stantly close  upon  the  entrance  of  the  fish, 
where  they  remain  until  removed  for  sale. 
I  was  informed,  that  a  person  possessing 
one  of  these  fisheries  makes  a  certain  pro- 
fit of  about  two  hundred  pounds  sterling 
t2 


276  FRANCE. 

annually,  which,  in  this  country,  is  a  very 
handsome  income. 

An  opportunity  occurring  to  send  this 
letter  off,  obliges  me  to  shorten  it,  and 
conclude. 


FRANCE.  277 


LETTER  XXIII. 


Scenery  of  the  South  of  France  contrasted  with  that  of 
the  North  of  Spain — Vineyards,  Corn,  Grasses  See. — 
Local  Effects  of  the  Revolution  upon  Population 
and  Husbandry — Distresses  of  the  People  from  the 
Conscription,  and  Oppression  of  the  French  Army 
— French  and  Spaniards  compared — Orthes — Pau 
— Chateau  of  Henry  IV.  Sfc. 


Pau,  April,  1814. 

Since  my  last  letter  we  have  continued  to 
advance,  and  every  day  has  furnished  fresh 
objects  for  admiration.  Having  been  of 
late  so  much  accustomed  to  prospects  of 
wild  and  romantic  scenery,  with  moun- 
tains, rocks,  ravines,  cataracts  and  water- 
falls, there  is  something,  from  contrast,  pe- 
culiarly pleasing  in  the   contemplation  of 


278  FRANCE. 

the  opposite  species  of  country  by  which 
we  are  now  surrounded.  The  former 
scenes,  perhaps  chiefly  from  their  novelty, 
certainly  excite  astonishment,  admiration, 
and  interest ;  but  in  time,  the  eye  seems 
to  be  weary  of  these,  and  to  feel  a  relief 
in  beholding  the  present  kind  of  views, 
conveying,  perceptibly,  ideas  of  comfort 
and  social  enjoyments,  in  which  the  others 
fail.  The  whole  of  this  part  of  the  south  of 
France  lies  low,  yet  not  so  much  so  as 
to  present  a  perfect  flat  appearance;  it 
being  every  where  most  beautifully  diver- 
sified with  gently  sloping  hills,  excepting 
only  the  grand  chain  of  the  pyrenees,  hi- 
therto constantly  in  view  during  our  route; 
and  which,  from  its  distance,  by  no  means 
interferes  with  the  rural  scenery  surround- 
ing us.  From  the  neighbourhood  of  Ba- 
yonne  hence  the  land  is  greatly  employed 
in  the  cultivation  of  vines,  which  farther 
westward  generally  resemble  those  of  the 
greater  part  of  Portugal,  being  suffered  to 
grow  tall,  and  run  upon  high  poles,  re- 
sembling the  mode  in  which  hops  are 
trained  in  our  own  country.    But  the  mode 


FRANCE.  279 

of  cultivating  them  in  these  parts  begins 
to  approximate  to  the  manner  I  have  seen 
usually  adopted  in  Spain  (particularly  in 
the  northern  provinces)  of  cutting  them 
down  very  low. 

Meadows,  covered  with  the  finest  species 
of  grasses  in  infinite  variety,  with  uplands 
adorned  with  verdure  of  all  descriptions 
and  shades,  intermixed  with  the  most  beau- 
tiful and  richest  corn-fields,  meet  the  eye 
in  every  direction.  The  country  does  not 
abound  in  forests,  or  woods,  although  it 
is  not  deficient  in  smaller  clusters  of  trees, 
here  and  there  scattered  about.  I  observed 
no  land  absolutely  waste,  all  being  culti- 
vated and  enclosed  to  a  certain  degree,  and 
presenting  the  idea  of  a  well,  though  not 
perhaps,  highly  tilled  district;  forming  in- 
deed, as  I  am  told,  a  tolerably  fair  pic- 
ture of  agriculture  throughout  the  whole 
of  France. 

"While,  however,  I  am  thus  led  to  ad- 
mire the  beauties  of  the  country,  which 
scarcely  any  circumstances  can  obliterate, 


'280  FRANCE. 

I  cannot  forbear  to  mingle  with  these  ob- 
servations facts  that  do  not  present  them- 
selves in  so  fascinating  a  light.  Whatever 
advantages  to  the  community  at  large,  the 
revolution  may  have  brought  about,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  of  the  individual  misery 
which  it  has  pretty  widely  distributed;  the 
evils  of  which,  it  must  indeed,  require  many 
years  of  happiness,  in  the  most  extended 
sense  of  the  word,  to  atone  for  and 
counterbalance.  The  national  vanity  of 
the  people  has  been  flattered  by  the 
achievements  of  the  extraordinary  man 
who  now  possesses  the  supreme  direction 
of  the  empire.  But,  how  dear  have  they 
not  paid  for  the  gratification  of  this  ruling 
passion?  The  population  has  been  so  en- 
tirely drained  by  the  numerous  and  heavy 
conscriptions  tiiat  have  taken  place,  that 
none  but  women,  elderly  men,  and  chil- 
dren are  to  be  met  with  in  general ;  and 
the  miserable  inhabitants  of  every  village 
and  town,  where  their  own  army  has  been 
stationed,  have  been  so  long  harrassed  by 
requisitions  and  oppressions  of  every  de- 
scription, that  they  are  left  nearly  destitute 


FRANCE.  281 

of  every  common  means  of  subsistence  and 
comfort.  I  have  mostly  witnessed,  among 
the  people  upon  whom  I  happened  to  have 
been  quartered,  that  they  felt  it  to  be  a 
real  relief,  whenever  portions  of  the  British 
army  took  up  their  quarters  among  them, 
uniformly  regarding  us  more  in  the  light 
of  friends,  than  of  conquering  enemies. 
Their  own  armies,  they  have  often  said, 
were  indeed  the  foes  which  they  chiefly 
dreaded;  for  not  content  with  pillaging, 
plundering,  and  oppressing  them,  they  tore 
the  dearest  relations  from  the  bosoms  of 
their  families,  or  demanded  such  sums  for 
their  ransom  as  entailed  misery  and  ruin 
upon  their  devoted  heads. 

Yet  notwithstanding  the  depressed  con- 
dition of  the  people  in  this  quarter  of 
France,  and  their  distance  from  the  capital, 
there  is  certainly  a  very  striking  superiority 
to  be  noticed  among  them,  when  compared 
with  the  nation  which  I  have  recently 
quitted.  A  better  insight  into  every  tiling 
which  regards  the  comforts  of  life,  and  a 
greater  degree  of  hospitality  pretty  gene- 


282  FRANCE. 

rally  pervades  every  description  of  people 
that  I  have  hitherto  been  acquainted  with  in 
the  country.  To  these  advantages  they  unite 
a  degree  of  liveliness  and  suavity  of  man- 
ners, coupled  with  a  neatness  in  their  per- 
sons and  dress,  which,  upon  the  first  ac- 
quaintance, cannot  fail  to  render  them  in- 
teresting and  agreeable  to  every  one ;  and 
particularly  so  to  those,  who,  like  myself, 
have  recently  left  a  country  of  so  very  op- 
posite a  description  in  all  these  particulars. 
I  have  often  remarked  it  as  forming  one  of 
the  leading  defects  of  the  Spaniards,  that 
they  will  not  put  themselves  out  of  their  way 
to  serve  any  one,  in  whose  views  they  are 
not  immediately  interested;  but  here,  on 
the  contrary,  I  have  noticed,  and  expe- 
rienced myself,  every  description  of  those 
little  nameless  kindnesses  that  tend  to 
smooth  the  passage  through  life,  and  to 
bind  man  and  man  together  by  firmer  bonds, 
than  perhaps  actions  of  a  more  exalted  na- 
ture, which  must  of  necessity  be  of  much 
less  frequent  occurrence. 

The  women,   however,  have  some  few 


FRANCE.  283 

customs  among  them,  which,  according  to 
our  ideas  of  female  delicacy,  create  no  in- 
considerable drawback  upon  their  personal 
attractions.    The  masculine  habit  of  riding 
a-stride,  which  I  believe  is  more  or  less  pre- 
valent throughout  France,  is  very  common 
here,  among  the  generality  of  people;  and, 
as  they  have  no  peculiar  dress  adapted  for 
the  purpose,  the  ungracefulness  of  the  cus- 
tom appears  still  more  offensive  to  the  eyes 
of  an  Englishman;  for  when  in  full  gallop, 
they  really   reminded   me   of  the   female 
knights  errant  of  Ariosto.     Another  cus- 
tom in  practice  among  them  is  yet  more 
objectionable   and    offensive.       Both    the 
young  and  old  are  in  the  habit  of  putting 
issues  in  their  arms  or  legs,  upon  the  score 
of  health,  although  they  may  be  absolutely 
free  at  the  time  from  any  species  of  com- 
plaint whatever.    The  origin  of  this  strange 
custom  I   am  at  a  loss  to  discover.    It  may 
possibly  arise  from  a  somewhat  similar  pre- 
judice to  that   which  induces    the   lower 
orders   of  people   in  our   own   country  tp 
be   bled  regularly   every  spring  and  fall. 
But,  from  whatever  cause  it  proceeds,  it  is 
one  of  the  most  disagreeable  and  loathsome 


284  FRANCE. 

habits  I  have  witnessed.  Of  the  superior 
class  of  females  we  have  seen  none,  and 
very  few  beyond  the  rank  of  shopkeepers. 
My  experience,  indeed,  has  not  gone  much 
farther,  with  regard  to  men  of  the  first  de- 
scription, though  the  latter  are  somewhat 
more  frequently  to  be  seen  than  the  former. 
Two  predominant  foibles  are  conspicuously 
common  to  both  sexes — excessive  vanity, 
and  a  never-ceasing  disposition  to  chatter, 
accompanied  by  a  corresponding  aversion 
from  every  species  of  thinking. 

In  a  former  part  of  my  letters,  I  noticed 
the  superiority  of  the  French  Basque  pea- 
santry, over  the  generality  of  the  Spanish 
peasants.  But  this  is  applicable  to  the 
Basques  only.  The  male  Gasconnes,  though 
certainly  endowed  with  higher  degrees  of 
intellectual  power,  are  much  inferior  to 
the  Spaniards  in  strength  of  body,  and  mas- 
culine appearance.  The  females  also  fall 
below  those  of  the  latter  nation  in  beauty 
and  symmetry  of  person,  as  much  as  the 
Basque  women  excel  the  Spanish.  With 
regard  to  the  intellectual  powers  of  the 
Freiidh;  I  have  often  been  much  amused 


FRANCE.  285 

in  witnessing  instances  of  the  ingenuity, 
and  energy  of  character  displayed  even  by 
the  lowest  orders  of  the  French  army,  when 
they  fell  into  our  hands.  The  careless  air 
with  which  they  support  their  misfortunes, 
and  the  heroic  patience  which  they  display, 
under  trials  of  all  descriptions,  is  really  to 
be  scarcely  paralleled  in  the  school  of 
Epictetus. 

The  next  town  of  importance  to  Peyre- 
horade  which  lay  in  our  way  was  Orthes ; 
a  name  now  familiar  to  every  English  ear, 
and  which  must  for  ever  be  celebrated  in 
the  annals  of  our  country.  It  is  an  exten- 
sive and  handsome  towm,  and  very  populous. 
We  rested  here  only  a  few  hours,  during 
which  time  I  employed  myself  in  seeing  the 
place.  It  was  market-day,  and  the  quantity 
of  buyers  and  sellers  that  thronged  the 
streets  was  very  great.  Poultry  of  all  kinds, 
game,  eggs,  fruit,  vegetables,  and  meat  were 
in  great  abundance;  and  when  compared 
with  the  markets  we  had  hitherto  seen,  was 
really  magnificent;  and  the  articles  were 
excessively  cheap,  and  much  below  the 
standard  of  the  best  English  markets,  though 


286  FRANCE. 

somewhat  above  the  rate  of  those  places 
which  the  British  troops  had  not  visited,  in 
force  enough  to  raise  considerably  the  price 
of  provisions. 

From  Orthes  we  next  marched  into  this 
town,  where  we  are  now  halting.  The  ap- 
proach to  it,  by  the  suburbs  and  adjacent 
country,  prepare  the  traveller  for  meeting 
with  a  considerable  place.  After  passing 
over  a  fine  bridge,  the  road  leads  into  the 
main  street,  which  is  nearly  two  miles  in 
length,  and  is  adorned  on  either  side  with 
very  respectable  and  handsome  houses. 
The  inhabitants  appear  to  be  particularly 
sociable  and  well  inclined  towards  the 
English.  A  neat  little  theatre,  where  co- 
medies are  performed,  stands  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  town ;  but,  owing  to  its  being 
Passion  Week,  it  was  not  attended  by  many 
of  the  inhabitants,  the  greater  part  of  the 
audience  consisting  almost  entirely  of 
strangers  passing  through  the  town. 

In  a  large  nunnery,  situated  upon  the 
skirts  of  the  town,  an  extensive  hospital  is 
formed  for  the  relief  of  sick  and  wounded 


FRANCE.  287 

soldiers.  It  is  attended  by  the  medical 
men  of  the  place  gratuitously,  assisted  by 
the  kind  offices  of  the  only  useful  order  of 
nuns  that  I  have  heard  of,  '  Les  Soeurs  de 
la  ChariteV  The  great  degree  of  neatness, 
and  attention  to  the  comforts  of  the  sick, 
displayed  throughout  the  whole  arrange- 
ment of  the  hospital,  is  very  gratifying, 
and  is  seldom  equalled  in  our  country ;  al- 
though I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  the 
professional  attendants  are  far  less  skilful, 
and  not  so  well  informed  as  those  of  our 
hospitals  in  general.  Notwithstanding  we 
are  in  a  state  of  warfare  with  the  nation, 
our  soldiers  are  admitted  into  this  excel- 
lent charity,  and  provided  for  with  the 
greatest  degree  of  humanity.  The  princi- 
pal curiosity  of  the  town  is  the  chateau  of 
Henry  IV.  now  in  a  state  of  ruin.  Part  of 
his  chambers,  and  the  knives  and  forks 
which  he  used,  are  still  preserved,  and 
shown  to  visitors. 

The  neighbourhood  of  Pau  is  remarkably 
line,  and  must  have  been  very  populous 
when  the  inhabitantswere  suffered  to  remain 
undisturbed  possessors  of  their  estates. 


288  FRANCE. 

Several  chateaus  are  to  be  seen  in  the 
neighbourhood,  the  owners  of  which  have 
long;  since  fled  from  the  ravages  of  the  re- 
volution,  or  have  forfeited  their  lives  upon 
the  guillotine,  because  they  supported  and 
formed  a  part  of  the  aristocracy  of  the  coun- 
try. The  appearance  of  these  ancient  edi- 
fices brings  to  the  recollection  the  feudal 
days  of  England.  A  chateau,  properly  so 
called,  was  originally  the  castle  or  resi- 
dence of  the  Lords  of  the  adjacent  dis- 
trict, being  usually  somewhat  fortified,  and 
surmounted  with  turrets  ;  though  in  mo- 
dern days  the  term  has  been,  by  courtesy, 
applied  indiscriminately  to  the  habitations 
of  any  country  gentlemen  of  fortune  and 
consequence. 

The  waters  of  Pau,  formerly  so  cele- 
brated, are  not  found  in  the  town,  but  at 
some  distance  in  the  neighbourhood.  They 
are  fallen,  as  I  am  informed,  into  neglect 
and  disuse. 


FRANCE.  289 


LETTER  XXIV. 


Route  towards  Toulouse — Ibos — Turbes — Highest  of 
the  Pyrenees — Auch — Arrival  in  Cantonments  near 
Toulouse— Description  of  that  City,  and  Rejoicings 
for  the  Change  of  Affairs. 


Cantonments  near  Toulouse,  April,  1 81 U 

After  a  sufficient  halt  at  Pau,  we  pro- 
ceeded to  the  neighbourhood  of  Toulouse, 
where  we  are  now  awaiting  farther  orders. 
Upon  our  route  we  met  numerous  con- 
scripts deserting  from  the  French  army, 
happy  in  the  opportunity  afforded  them  of 
returning  to  their  homes,  under  the  pro- 
tection which  the  advance  of  the  British 
afforded. 

At  Ibos,  a  large  and  straggling  village 


290  FRANCE. 

upon  the  road,  next  to  Pau,  I  was  lodged 
in  the  house  of  a  wealthy  farmer,  a  re- 
spectable American,  who  showed  me  many 
civil  attentions,  being  acquainted  with 
some  of  my  friends  in  the  West  Indies. 
In  common  with  many  others  of  his  coun- 
trymen, he  had  purchased  considerable 
lands,  and  settled  in  France,  his  estate 
being  chiefly  dedicated  to  the  cultivation 
of  grapes.  He  complained  very  much  of 
the  deficiency  of  labourers,  in  consequence 
of  the  conscription,  and  other  effects  of 
the  war,  which  had  materially  impover- 
ished his  farms. 

The  next  considerable  town  in  our  way 
was  Tarbes,  which,  though  large  and  popu- 
lous, is  inferior  in  every  other  respect  to 
Pau.  Great  quantities  of  wine  and  brandy 
are  made  in  this  district,  which  is  con- 
sidered one  of  the  most  flourishing  parts  of 
the  south  of  France.  Nearly  opposite  to 
this  place,  the  highest  mountains  of  the 
Pyrenees  are  seen,  the  chain  declining  in 
elevation  to  the  right  and  left.  Near  the 
town  of  Tarbes,    upon  an   elevation  com- 


FRANCE.  291 

mantling  an  almost  boundless  prospect, 
stands  a  monument,  erected  in  honor  of  the 
Emperor  and  Empress  Josephine,  upon  the 
occasion  of  their  passing  this  way,  about 
six  years  ago,  to  Spain  and  Portugal.  Pro- 
ceeding through  the  small  towns  of  Re- 
bastens  and  Mirande,  we  arrived  at  the 
city  of  Auch,  a  very  large,  populous,  and 
handsome  place.  The  collegiate  church  is 
a  magnificent  and  spacious  edifice,  adorned 
beautifully  on  the  outside  with  fine  speci- 
mens of  gothic  ornaments  highly  deserving 
of  notice.  The  interior  is  no  less  splen- 
didly fitted  up,  having  an  excellent  organ, 
accompanied  by  a  very  superior  choir  of 
singers-.  The  commune,  for  the  transaction 
of  the  public  business  of  the  town,  is  a 
very  elegant  building. 

After  halting  some  time,  at  the  neat  lit- 
tle town  of  Oimont,  and  at  LTsle  en  Jour- 
dain,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Toulouse, 
we  arrived  at  our  present  cantonments, 
that  have  nothing  to  recommend  them  but 
a  very  fine  chateau  in  which  I  am  quar- 
tered, belonging  to  one  of  Buonaparte's 
u  2 


'292  FRANCE. 

generals,  and  furnished  in  the  most  ele- 
gant style. 

At  L'Isle  en  Jourdain,  we  received  the 
gratifying  intelligence  of  Soult's  flight  from 
Toulouse,  and  the  entrance  of  our  army 
into  the  town.  The  sensation  produced 
among  the  inhabitants  at  this  news  was 
very  striking.  They  exhibited  evident 
signs  of  satisfaction,  at  what  they  consi- 
dered to  be  the  death-blow  to  his  army. — 
At  any  rate,  the  change  must  have  been 
beneficial  to  the  neighbouring  towns  and 
villages,  as  all  communication  with  Tou- 
louse had  been  cut  off  for  some  time  past, 
and  a  stop  put  to  the  great  commercial 
intercourse  subsisting  before  the  arrival  of 
the  contending  armies. 

Soon  after  we  arrived  here,  intelligence 
was  received  of  the  change  of  affairs  that 
had  taken  place  in  Paris,  with  which  you 
must  have  long  ago  been  apprized ;  as  it 
appears,  that  the  dispatches,  intended  to 
announce  to  us  the  new  state  of  things,  have 
been  intercepted,  and  for  a  time  delayed. 


FRANCE.  293 

What  a  criminal  desire  for  mischief  must 
have  existed  among  the  agents  of  Buona- 
parte, to  have  induced  them  to  obstruct 
the  chelation  of  news,  which  had  for 
its  object  the  suspension  of  hostilities,  the 
continuation  of  which,  under  existing  cir- 
cumstances,  could  not  be  productive  of 
the  slightest  advantage?  The  effect  of  this 
interception,  though  it  has  added  again  to 
the  renown  of  the  British  arms,  must  ever 
be  lamented  as  the  cause  of  a  needless  loss 
of  gallant  and  brave  men  on  both  sides. 

Immediately  upon  the  arrival  of  the 
Paris  bulletin,  I  took  an  opportunity  of 
visiting  Toulouse.  It  is  a  very  large  and 
populous  town,  and  if  the  accounts  of  the 
inhabitants  may  be  relied  on,  it  is  certainly 
the  fourth  city  in  France.  The  entrance 
on  the  western  side,  across  a  large  and 
handsome  bridge, thrown  over  the  Garonne, 
is  very  striking,  but  I  was  much  disap- 
pointed willi  the  rest  of  the  town.  The 
streets  are  all  very  narrow,  and,  as  usual, 
few  of  them  are  furnished  with  paved  foot*, 
wavs;   the  houses  too,   in  general,  being 


294  FRANCE. 

small,  and  shabby  in  their  appearance. — 
They  have  shops,  however,  in  abundance, 
throughout  the  town,  which,  generally 
speaking,  are  very  excellent,  especially 
those  of  the  booksellers  and  jewellers. 

After  crossing  the  bridge,  to  the  right 
and  left,  a  long  range  of  public  buildings, 
consisting  of  warehouses  &c.  on  the 
banks  of  the  river,  produces  somewhat  of 
the  appearance  of  grandeur;  but  this  I 
think  forms  the  only  fine  view  in  Toulouse  ; 
every  other  part  bears  a  dirty,  confined, 
and  rather  mean  look  for  a  town  of  such 
note  and  importance, 

There  is  but  one  square  in  the  place,  that 
exhibits  any  thing  like  grandeur,  and  this  is 
dedicated  to  the  public  market.  One  side 
of  it  is  filled  up  by  the  Capitolium,  a  name 
which  is  derived  from  the  title  of  the  chief 
magistrate  of  the  town,  who  is  termed  "  Le 
Capitoul."  It  is  a  very  elegant  and  spa- 
cious edifice  of  white  stone,  built  in  the 
modern  style  of  architecture.  Some  hand- 
some pillars  front  the  building,  which   is 


FRANCE.  295 

ornamented  with  carved  work,  the  word, 
'  Capitolium'  being  written  in  large  golden 
letters  over  the  centre  balcony.  The  apart- 
ments are  dedicated  to  the  business  of  the 
city,  and  public  entertainments:  one  of  them 
is  constructed  for  an  hall  of  audience,  and 
a  splendid  throne  of  crimson  velvet,  and 
gold  embroidery,  with  the  crown  of  Buona- 
parte on  the  summit  of  the  canopy,  is 
placed  at  the  head  of  it,  with  two  chairs 
for  the  Emperor  and  Empress;  and  it  was 
here  that  they  received  the  addresses  of  the 
people,  as  they  parsed  through  Toulouse  on 
their  way  to  Spain, 

This  place  is  what  Buonaparte  (for  the 
great  devotion  it  has  always  manifested  in 
his  cause)  used  to  number  among  his 
4  sood  cities/  At  the  lower  end  of  one  of 
the  principal  rooms  a  bust  of  Napoleon 
lately  stood,  which,  on  the  change  of  affairs, 
was  hurled  by  the  populace  out  of  the 
windows  into  the  streets,  with  cries  of 
"  a  bas  le  tyran  ;  vive  les  Bourbons,"  &c. 

PVery  person    in    Toulouse   wears   the 


29t>  FRANCE. 

white  cockade.  The  English  mount  it 
upon  the  black  one  worn  by  the  military, 
while  the  French  officers  mount  the  black 
cockade  upon  the  white,  in  compliment  to 
us.  I  trust,  that  this  sudden  and  universal 
assumption  of  the  lily,  springs  from  the 
heart,  and  does  not  arise  from  mere  fashion 
and  whim.  I  am  inclined  to  believe,  that 
the  people  about  these  parts  are  really  sin- 
cere in  their  expressions  of  satisfaction  at  the 
restoration  of  the  Bourbons,  whatever  may 
be  the  present  state  of  the  national  feeling 
farther  north. 

The  usual  demonstrations  of  joy  have 
been  taking  place,  viz.  illuminations,  pub- 
lic entertainments  &e.  and  our  illustrious 
hero  receives  honors,  which,  in  pagan  days, 
would  have  at  least  elevated  him  to  the 
rank  of  a  demigod.  The  present  popula- 
tion of  Toulouse  is  estimated  at  about  fifty 
thousand,  the  chief  portion  of  which  is 
engaged  in  trade. 


FRANCE.  297 


LETTER  XXV. 


Description  of  the  City  continued — Females  of  Tov- 
fount—  Principal  Circumstances  relative  to  Marshal 
Soult's  Life — Gardes  Rationales. 


Cantonments  near  Toulouse,  April,  1814. 

I  shall  now  renew  the  subjects  which  I 
was  unable  to  finish  in  my  last  letter,  rela- 
tive to  Toulouse.  The  female  part  of  the 
community  in  this  town,  lies  under  a  some- 
what similar  stigma  to  that  which  used 
to  be  visited  upon  their  fair  sisters  in 
our  renowned  city  of  Bristol,  who  (it 
is  said)  were  in  former  days  celebrated 
for  a  proverbial  deficiency  of  beauty  and 
grace.  I  am  not  aware  of  the  French  legis- 
lature having  deemed  it  necessary  to  in- 
terfere upon  so  serious  an  occasion,  what- 


298  TRANCE, 

ever  might  have  been  judged  expedient  by 
the  English  parliament,  with  respect  to  the 
latter  devoted  place ;  where,  it  appears  to 
have  been  thought  politically  adviseable,  to 
offer  certain  extra  rewards  and  incitements 
to  marriage,  lest  the  absence  of  other  at- 
tractions should  have  condemned  the  town 
to  perpetual  celibacy.  It  certainly  might 
seem  hard  to  visit  an  whole  race  with  this 
sweeping  clause;  but,  I  must  say,  from 
my  own  experience,  I  could  not  help  cha- 
ritably hoping, -that,  as  Providence  is  ge- 
nerally impartial  in  his  dispensations,  he 
may  have  made  up  at  Toulouse,  in  the 
score  of  amiability,  for  the  lamentable  de- 
ficiency of  personal  charms.  And  judg- 
ing by  this  rule,  the  shrine  of  virtue,  at  this 
place,  must  have  no  ordinary  number  of 
votaries.  Their  hideous  mode  of  dressing 
themselves,  also,  by  no  means  tends  to  as- 
sist in  improving  the  parsimony  of  nature 
towards  this  much  injured  class.  High- 
heeled  and  pointed  shoes,  long  waists,  and 
enormous  bonnets,  nearly  one  third  of  the 
height  of  the  body,  with  several  piles  of 
ribbons,  row  above  row,  upon  the  crown, 


FRANCE.  299 

and  long  streaming  sashes  about  the  middle, 
altogether  create  an  appearance,  which,  in 
its  toute  ensemble,  I  should  think  abso- 
lutely without  a  parallel.     You  must   not 
suppose,  from  this  description,  that  I  am 
so  decided  a  John  Bull,  as  to  fancy  there 
are  no  ladies  deserving  of  praise  out  of  our 
own  country;  although,  for  the  most  part, 
I  have  reason  to  believe,  from  what  I  have 
seen,  that  I  am  justified  in  giving  an  un- 
doubted  preference  to  my  own  country- 
women.    In  spite,  however,  of  all  this,  as 
is  generally  the   case,  some  improvement 
might  be  gathered  from  a  comparison  even 
with    decided   inferiority.      From   what  I 
have  hitherto  seen  of  the  French  ladies, 
they  possess    a  quickness  and   vivacity  of 
manner  which  render  them  amusing,  not- 
withstanding   the    many  defects  of   their 
character.     This,  and  their  minute  atten- 
tion to  what  is  termed  '  les  petits  soins  de 
la  vie,'  gives  them  attractions  from  which 
our  ladies  might  learn  an  useful  lesson. 

It  may  be  objected,  that  this  disposition, 
which    indeed   predominates  among    both 


800  FRANCE* 

sexes,  borders  on  in  sincerity,  and  a  lightness 
of  character,  totally  incompatible  with  real 
feeling  and  integrity.  I  certainly  should 
not  for  a  moment  venture  to  compare  the 
ladies  of  the  two  nations  together,  but  it 
does  appear  to  me,  that  an  union  of  the  man- 
ners of  both  might  be  somewhat  preferable 
to  either  of  them,  separately  taken.  To 
finish  this  general,  though  imperfect  sketch 
of  Toulouse,  it  only  remains  for  me  to 
remark,  that  there  are  abundance  of  hotels, 
cafes  kc.  many  of  which  are  very  ele- 
gantly fitted  up,  and  in  a  style  greatly 
superior  to  those  which  are  to  be  met 
with,  generally,  in  London,  and  perhaps 
better  adapted  to  the  taste  and  manners 
of  the  French;  for,  an  Englishman  of  busi- 
ness, wrapped  up  in  mercantile  specula- 
tions, who  frequently  enters  a  coffee-house 
for  the  double  motive  of  gratifying  his 
hunger  and  arranging  his  thoughts,  would 
rind  himself  lamentably  off  in  the  cafe  of  a 
French  restaurateur;  and  he  would  no  doubt 
prefer  a  plain  beef-steak  at  Doily's,  or  even 
at  John-a-Groat's,  where  he  might  enjoy 
bis   potatoes  hot,  and  his  thoughts  undis- 


FRANCE.  301 

turbed.  The  gay  and  lively  inhabitants  of 
France  resort  in  crowds  to  these  places  of 
refreshment,  apparently  devoid  of  care,  and 
more,  as  it  would  appear,  from  the  desire 
of  amusement,  than  the  satisfying  of  their 
hunger.  Of  all  the  confusion  of  tongues 
I  have  ever  experienced,  a  French  coffee- 
house exhibits  the  most  extraordinary  dis- 
play, and  certainly  since  the  destruction 
of  the  Tower  of  Babel  nothing  can  have 
ever  been  like  it  in  the  world.  To  this 
eternal  jabbering,  which  is  pretty  general 
in  these  places  throughout  France,  may  be 
added,  at  Toulouse,  a  never-ceasing  succes- 
sion of  beggars,  pedlars,  tumblers,  con- 
jurors &c.  who  are  admitted  into  the  cafes, 
from  an  importunity  requiring  no  small 
share  of  resolution  to  resist.  These  gentry 
carry  their  impudence  to  the  most  extraor- 
dinary pitch,  infesting  your  table  while  at 
dinner,  and  forcing  their  various  sorts  of 
merchandize  upon  you,  consisting  chiefly 
of  toys,  trinkets,  laces  &c.  and  often  of 
articles  more  exceptionable  though  not  less 
marketable.  A  similar  species  of  persecu- 
tion is  practiced  by  the  jugglers,  who  are 


302  FRANCE. 

equally  numerous  and  importunate.  Hap- 
pening to  dine  at  one  of  these  places,  upon 
my  first  arrival,  I  was  not  a  little  astonished 
by  a  female,  attended  by  two  little  girls,  en- 
tering the  room  ;  and,  without  ceremony, di- 
rectly proceeding  to  unburthen  themselves 
of  a  considerable  portion  of  their  upper 
vestments,  so  as  to  give  me  some  appre- 
hensions for  the  conclusion  of  the  busi- 
ness, the  meaning  of  which  I  was  totally 
at  a  loss  to  conjecture.  I  was  however  soon 
relieved  from  my  alarm,  by  perceiving  the 
woman,  accompanied  by  the  two  children, 
proceed  to  tumble  over  several  times  up  and 
down  the  whole  length  of  the  room,  between 
the  tables,  walk  upon  their  hands,  and  per- 
form various  other  feats  of  agility,  and 
concluding  the  whole,  as  usual,  by  a  de- 
mand upon  your  purse. 

Gambling-houses,  balls,  and  the  theatre 
make  up  the  principal  public  amusements 
of  the  evening.  The  latter  is  well  built, 
neatly  fitted  up,  and  tolerably  supported. 

The  town  contains  a  cathedral  and  ibiu 


FRANCE.  305 

churches,  all  of  which  are  handsome  build- 
ings. The  former  is  very  ancient  and  spa- 
cious, and  presents  a  more  venerable 
aspect  than  the  generality  of  those  which 
I  have  hitherto  noticed.  The  remainder 
are  much  in  the  usual  French  style.  They 
are  furnished  and  ornamented  in  a  less 
heavy  and  tawdry  manner  than  those  of 
Portugal  and  Spain,  though  with  less  ap- 
pearance of  grandeur,  richness,  and  wealth. 

The  country  immediately  in  the  vicinity 
of  Toulouse  possesses  as  little  beauty  as 
the  town  itself,  being  neither  interesting  in 
its  general  appearance,  nor  remarkable  for 
fertility  and  cultivation,  while  all  the  vil- 
lages around  are  in  a  state  of  poverty  and, 
partial  devastation.  The  Garonne  sweeps 
round  a  portion  of  the  town,  and  in  some 
spots  affords  pleasing  views,  but  the  chief 
beauties  for  which  its  banks  are  celebrated 
lie  remote  from  the  city.  It  is  a  broad, 
clear,  deep,  and  rapid  stream,  and  is  na- 
vigable to  a  considerable  distance.  A  wall 
encircles  the  remainder  of  the  town,  which 
i-i  uot  defended  bv  the  river. 


304  FRANCE. 

These  advantages  Soult  had  availed 
himself  of,  and  kept  the  inhabitants  in 
great  terror  by  preparations  for  resistance, 
which,  however,  were  certainly  not  of  a 
nature  to  prevent  its  destruction,  had  our 
army  found  it  necessary  to  carry  it  by  as- 
sault. 

I  had  hoped  that  the  arrival  of  the  late 
intelligence  from  Paris  would  have  pro- 
duced a  permanent  cessation  of  hostilities, 
especially  considering  the  repeated  defeats 
which  Soult  has  latterly  sustained,  and  the 
discontent  which  is  said  to  prevail  through- 
out his  army.  But  this  indefatigable  and 
persevering  general,  whose  exertions  would 
have  done  honor  to  a  better  cause,  does 
not  appear  at  all  inclined  to  avail  himself 
of  the  fair  opportunity  he  now  has  of  relin- 
quishing this  fruitless  contest.  Jt  is  said 
that  he  affects  to  doubt  the  authenticity  of 
the  news  relating  to  his  master's  over- 
throw, and  expresses  a  determination  to 
hold  out  as  long  as  he  has  any  troops  to 
stand  by  him.  In  consequence  of  this  de- 
claration, his   retreat   in   the   direction  of 


FRANCE,  30.! 


the  pass  of  Perpignan  is  closely  followed 
up,  in  order  to  bring  him  to  terms,  to 
which  no  doubt  he  will  ere  lon«;  accede. 


o 


Putting  aside  all  considerations  of  the 
master  he  serves,  and  the  cause  to  which 
he  is  devoted,  there  is  something  noble, 
and  certainly  to  be  admired,  in  the  prin- 
ciple of  perseverance  and  determined  re- 
solution, which  has  been  so  uniformly  dis- 
played throughout  the  whole  conduct 
of  this  distinguished  general.  I  am  told 
that  Lord  Wellington  thinks  very  highly 
of  him  as  a  commander,  and  I  believe  the 
praises  of  his  countrymen  do  not  overrate 
his  merits. 

Some  of  the  leading  circumstances  of 
Soult's  life,  which  I  have  obtained  from 
authentic  information,  may  not  perhaps  be 
uninteresting  to  you. 

It  appears  that  he  is  now  in  about  his  forty- 
sixth  year,  and  is  one  of  the  four  generals 
of  the  Imperial  Guard.     It  is  said  that  hi? 
military  pride  is  not  less  than  his  extreme 
x 


306  FRANCE. 

professional  ardor,  and  that  he  seems  to 
be  perfectly  conscious  of  his  great  talents. 
He  was  born  of  mean  parents,  and  is  in- 
debted to  his  own  exertions  for  his  ad- 
vancement. At  the  age  of  sixteen  he 
enlisted  as  a  private  in  the  army,  and  in 
1792  was  raised  to  the  rank  of  Adjutant- 
Major  of  the  National  Guards.  The  fol- 
lowing year  he  was  appointed  Adjutant- 
General  to  the  army  of  the  Moselle,  under 
Jourdan,  and  afterwards  chief  of  the  staff 
of  Lefebre's  division  of  that  army  which 
marched  upon  the  Sambre.  In  1794  he 
particularly  distinguished  himself  at  the 
battle  of  Fleures.  uid  was  himself  on  that 
occasion  the  sole  cause  of  victory  to  the 
French.  This  was  followed  by  his  being 
made  General  of  Brigade,  and  ultimately 
he  procured  Lefebre's  division,  which  he 
commanded  at  the  battle  of  Leibtingen, 
26th  of  March,  1799.  He  was  afterwards 
employed  in  Switzerland,  under  Massena, 
whom  he  followed  into  Italy,  and  assisted 
at  the  siege  of  Genoa,  where  he  was 
wounded.  He  next  had  an  army  of  ob- 
servation at  Naples,  and  was  both  beloved 


FRANCE.  307 

and  feared  by  his  troops  and  the  inhabit- 
ants. His  next  appointment  was  to  the 
Colonelcy-General  of  the  Foot  Chasseurs  of 
the  Consular  Guard;  for  his  conduct  in 
which  situation,  Buonaparte  appointed  him 
to  the  chief  command  of  the  Boulogne  en- 
campment; and,  when  this  was  broken  up, 
he  crossed  the  Rhine  at  Sprie,  in  Septem- 
ber, 1805,  and  entered  Germany  crowned 
with  success;  receiving  the  most  flattering 
approbations  from  Napoleon  for  his  con- 
summate skill  and  perseverance,  when  al- 
most every  other  general,  and  even  his 
master,  was  inclined  to  despair, 

After  the  peace  of  Tilsit,  Soult  com- 
manded the  army  of  Spain.  In  Novem- 
ber, 1808,  he  attacked  and  destroyed  the 
army  of  Estramadura,  and  penetrated  into 
the  Asturias,  and  afterwards  fought  the 
battle  of  Corunna  with  Sir  John  Moore. 
He  next,  by  his  march  upon  Placentia. 
with  Mortier,  obliged  Lord  Wellington  to 
relinquish  his  position  at  Talavera ;  and 
King  Joseph  employed  him  as  chief  of  his 
staff,  in  the  room  of  Jourdan.  On  the 
x  2 


30S  FRANCE. 

19th  of  November,  1809,  Joseph  and  Soult 
beat  Arrizaja,  with  50,000  Spaniards,  at 
Ocana,  while  the  French  army  did  not 
amount  to  30,000,  although  declared  by 
Buonaparte,  some  time  previously,  to  be 
70,000  strong.  On  the  20th  of  January, 
1810,  Soult's  celebrated  passage  of  the 
Sierra  Morena  took  place,  which  brings  the 
chief  circumstances  of  that  great  general's 
life  up  to  a  period,  so  recent  and  so  well 
known  as  to  need  no  farther  remarks.  It 
is  gratifying  to  the  feelings  of  Englishmen, 
and  must  be  a  source  of  proud  exultation 
to  our  renowned  and  invincible  general, 
that  the  former  perpetual  round  of  success, 
which  encircled  Soult,  has  been  checked 
in  its  progress,  when  he  had  to  contend 
with  British  arms. 

While  I  was  at  Toulouse  I  saw  numbers 
of  the  Gardes  Nationales,  who,  no  doubt, 
were  far  from  being  displeased,  from  the 
nature  of  their  services,  in  the  opportunity 
lately  afforded  them  of  mounting  the  white 
cockade,  and  relinquishing  their  military 
habits;  for   which   they    do    not  appear. 


FRANCE.  309 

either  by  natural  or  acquired  taste,  to  be 
at  all  adapted.  All  are  obliged  to  clothe 
and  equip  themselves.  They  are,  how- 
ever, upon  the  whole,  a  fine  looking  body 
of  men,  and  seem  to  be  formed  of  a  re- 
spectable class  of  citizens. 


310  FRANCE. 


LETTER  XXVI. 


Cessation  of  Hostilities— Return  to  Cantonments— 
Hospitality  of  the  People— Popular  Feelings  on  the 
Restoration  of  the  Bourbons. 


Cantonments,  May,  1814. 

Since  I  last  addressed  you  from  the 
neighbourhood  of  Toulouse,  we  have  re- 
traced  our  steps,  and  are  arrived  in  these, 
I  presume,  our  last  cantonments  in  France; 
where  we  shall  probably  remain  till  ar- 
rangements are  concluded  for  our  depar- 
ture for  England.  Our  advance  lay  at  first 
by  the  route  which  Soult  had  taken,  whom 
our  army  was  pursuing  with  the  utmost  ra- 
pidity. Upon  our  march  the  brigade  was 
reviewed  by  Lord  Wellington,  in  a  field 
near    Toulouse  j    and    a    number   of  the 


FRANCE.  311 

townspeople,  assembled  on  this  occasion, 
saluted  the  Duke  with  the  usual  mode  of 
approbation.  A  few  days  past  they  were> 
no  doubt,  equally  vociferous  in  favour  of 
Soult  and  Napoleon.  While  advancing,  at 
a  short  distance  from  Toulouse,  we  met 
the  second  in  command  of  the  French 
army,  very  superbly  dressed,  in  a  coach 
and  four,  and  escorted  by  a  party  of  hus- 
sars, upon  his  way  to  our  head-quarters,  in 
order  to  make  arrangements  for  a  cessation 
of  hostilities  ;  and,  on  the  day  following, 
we  received  the  order  to  halt.  A  very 
splendid  ball  and  supper  was  given  in  the 
Capitolium  on  this  occasion,  at  which  the 
Duke  of  Wellington  presided,  seated  in 
the  chair,  and  beneath  the  canopy  which 
had  been  originally  prepared  for  Buona- 
parte. The  sight  of  the  illustrious  hero 
upon  this  truly  gratifying  event,  when 
the  enthusiasm  of  the  people  was  at  the 
highest  pitch,  produced  the  most  anima- 
ting feelings ;  and  the  company  may  lite- 
rally be  said  to  have  been  intoxicated  with 
joy,  when  his  Lordship  descended  from  the 
throne,  and  walked  down  the  room,  the 


31'J,  FRANCE. 

people  shouting,  clapping  their  hands,  and 
flinging  their  hats  in  the  air;  while  the  fe- 
males waved  their  white  handkerchiefs,  and 
the  room  re-echoed  with  cries  of  "  vive 
Lord  Wellington"  &c. 

Nothing  can  exceed  the  hospitality  and 
kind  attention  with  which  we  have  been 
received  every  where  on  our  march  hither. 
Our  way  lay  frequently  through  towns'  and 
villages,  unaccustomed  to  the  dreadful  visi- 
tation of  the  soldiery,  in  that  degree  to 
which  many  others  have  been  exposed ; 
and  this  may  in  some  measure  account  for 
the  kindness  we  experienced.  The  people 
expressed  no  small  astonishment  in  behold- 
ing the  train  of  animals,  and  the  quantity 
of  baggage  attendant  upon  our  march. — 
They  had  been  accustomed  to  see  their 
own  army  live  at  almost  free-quarters,  in 
every  place  they  marched  through,  upon 
the  peaceful  and  unoffending  inhabitants, 
as  a  matter  of  course ;  rendering  thereby 
the  attendance  of  servants,  and  the  incon- 
venience of  baggage  unnecessary,  which, 
under  our  liberal  and  more  politic  system  of 


FRANCE.  313 

campaigning,  became  indispensably  requi- 
site. While,  however,  this  mode  of  pro- 
ceeding procured  to  the  British  army  the 
esteem  and  respect  of  the  inhabitants  in 
general,  it  became  an  endless  source  of  jea- 
lousy to  our  opponents'  force;  which  not 
only  found  itself  subdued  in  the  field,  but 
also  completely  out-done  in  generosity. 
"Wherever  we  went  the  people  welcomed 
us,  and  hailed  us  as  their  deliverers  and 
friends ;  while  the  French  troops,  even  in 
their  native  country,  experienced  a  species 
of  humiliation  and  degradation  in  the 
opinions  of  their  own  fellow-citizens. 

Their  leader  dethroned,  and  their  more 
immediate  prospects  annihilated,  I  fear 
they  mount  the  white  cockade  from  feelings 
of  necessity,  rather  than  from  a  convic- 
tion of  the  justice  of  the  cause;  and  this  is 
a  sentiment  too  natural  to  be  easily  and 
quickly  removed.  An  immense  mass  of 
the  population  is  interested  in  warfare, 
which  neither  the  want  of  success,  nor 
the  destruction  of  their  armies  can  spee- 
dily   remove.      Thousands    have    thriven 


3 ] 4  TRANCE. 

from  it,  and  they  are,  of  course,  attached 
to  the  cause  of  the  person  who  supported 
it;  putting  aside  that  natural  restlessness  in- 
herent in  the  French  character,  which  at  no 
time  can  easily  accommodate  itself  to  the 
"  piping  times  of  peace,"  especially,  when 
that  peace  has  been  forced  upon  them, 
which  has  originated  in  humbled  pride  and 
absolute  defeat. 

Let  not  our  friends  at  home  congra- 
tulate themselves  too  fondly  upon  this 
general  cry  in  favour  of  the  Bourbons 
and  of  peace.  However  agreeable  it  may 
be  to  the  English,  and  conducive  to  the 
repose  of  the  world,  to  witness  the  late 
scourge  of  Europe  fallen  to  the  dust ;  yet, 
a  very  slight  acquaintance  only  with  the 
French  and  their  history,  will  sufficiently 
point  out  the  absurdity  of  supposing  that 
these  ideas  can  meet  the  heart  of  every 
Frenchman,  or  by  any  means  unite  the 
feelings  of  the  country  in  one  general  bond 
of  amity  favourable  to  the  allies. 

In  the  midst  of  that  chaos,  which   has 


FRANCE.  315 

been  the  result  of  the  breaking  up  of  all 
parties,  we  can  look  for  consolation  alone, 
from  the  single  circumstance  arising  out 
of  the  physical  inability  of  the  kingdom  to 
make  any  farther  resistance. 

I  should  very  much  doubt,  whether,  at 
this  moment,  France  may  not  be  laughing 
in  her  sleeves  at  the  affected  moderation  of 
the  Emperor  Alexander,  in  sparing  the 
city  of  Paris,  and  the  lives  of  the  extraor- 
dinary being  and  his  associates,  who  have 
recently  conducted  the  energies  of  this 
powerful  nation  ;  and,  from  whose  activity, 
ability,  and  disappointed  ambition,  the 
most  formidable  and  decided  hostility 
mav  be  apprehended.  Nor  will  parti- 
zans  be  wanting,  whenever  opportunity 
offers  of  again  rallying  round  the  standard 
of  one,  whose  exploits  so  greatly  contri- 
buted to  the  gratification  of  the  vanity,  and 
nationality  of  the  French  character. 

Upon  our  road  to  this  place,  we  met  the 
Due  d'Angoulemc,  accompanied  by  the 
Count  de  Gramont,  upon  their  journey  to 


316  FRANCE. 

Paris.  Our  brigade  opened  right  and  left  to 
permit  the  procession  to  pass,  and  to  pay  the 
usual  ceremonies  due  to  a  prince.  Nothing 
could  exceed  the  display  of  enthusiasm 
and  affection  which  he  experienced  from 
the  different  towns  and  villages  through 
which  he  passed.  The  people  appeared 
really  intoxicated  with  joy,  and  every  in- 
dividual seemed  to  vie  with  the  other  in 
making  all  necessary  preparations  for  the 
occasion.  All  the  houses  were  decorated 
with  white  flags,  intermixed  with  ever- 
greens ;  and  triumphal  arches  formed  of 
festoons,  and  emblems  of  the  lily  were 
thrown  over  the  entrances  of  the  different 
villages  through  which  he  rode;  the  principal 
people  uniformly  going  out  on  horseback, 
full-dressed,  adorned  with  the  croix  de  St. 
Louis,  and  white  scarfs,  to  welcome  his  ap- 
proach. In  the  evening,  illuminations, 
balls  &c.  followed. 

You  have,  no  doubt,  experienced,  in 
the  middle  of  all  these  prosperous  events, 
a  considerable  damp,  from  the  unfortunate 


FRANCE.  317 

business  that  has  occurred  at  Bayonne ; 
which,  when  considered  as  the  final  close 
of  an  unexampled  career  of  victory  and 
glory,  is,  from  the  circumstances  under 
which  it  happened,  peculiarly  to  be  la- 
mented. 


313  FRANCE. 


LETTER  XXVII. 


Pkturesque  Scenery  in  the  Neighbourhood  of  the  Ga- 
ronne— Agricultural  State  of  the  Country — Ex- 
hausted State  of  the  internal  Resources  of  France — 
Agen — Rejoicings  for  the  Due  d'Angouleme — 
Manners  of  the  modern  French  contrasttd  with 
those  of  former  Days. 


Cantonments,  May,  1314. 

I  am  very  much  pleased  with  the  country 
about  this  place,  which  affords  the  most 
agreeable  rides  and  walks,  and  delightful 
scenery.  It  is  more  diversified  with  hill 
and  dale  than  any  that  I  have  hitherto 
seen,  and  the  scenery  is  every  where  en- 
riched with  fine  woods,  and  whatever  can 
constitute  a  pleasing  prospect.  The  wind- 
ings of  tbe  Garonne  every  where  form  the 


/ 


FRANCE.  319 

leading  features  of  the  country,  which  is 
also  enriched  with  a  larger  proportion  of 
meadow  land,  than  is  generally  found  in 
these  parts. 

It  is,  however,  very  obvious,  that  this 
apparently  rich  and  fertile  country  is  ca- 
pable of  being  considerably  improved.  A 
British  farmer,  unacquainted  with  the 
dreadful  effects  of  an  actual  state  of  war, 
would  feel  much  contempt  at  the  appear- 
ance of  the  land  and  crops,  when  put  in 
competition  with  those  of  his  own  country, 
flourishing  under  all  the  advantages  of  agri- 
cultural skill,  and  a  free  government,  ac- 
companied by  internal  tranquillity. 

I  understand  that  it  is  the  intention  of 
landholders,  to  turn  their  views,  in  future, 
more  to  the  growth  of  corn  than  to  the 
culture  of  vines,  which  is  at  present  their 
principal  object.  If  they  can  procure  a 
sufficient  market  for  the  former,  there  will 
be  a  plentiful  source  of  employment  for  the 
immens  'n crease  in  population,  which  the 
return   .•     the  prisoners  from  Russia   and 


320  FRANCE. 

England,  must  unavoidably  create.  A  con- 
siderable quantity  of  corn  is  every  where 
grown,  but  it  is  for  the  most  part  poor  and 
spare,  from  the  very  indifferent  manner  in 
which  the  land  is  tilled  and  manured.  An 
inadequate  demand,  and  the  great  scarcity 
of  labourers,  have  hitherto  been  esteemed 
the  causes  of  this  general  deficiency  in  cul- 
tivation. 

The  internal  resources  of  France  are  im- 
mense, and  I  think  I  may  hazard  the  con- 
jecture, that  they  are  fully  adequate  to. her 
consumption,  if  properly  managed.  While 
she  has  been  grasping  at  extension  of  terri- 
tory, she  has  neglected  her  own  internal 
advantages.  Her  population  has  been  so 
drained,  to  secure  foreign  possessions,  that 
she  has  impoverished  those  lands  which 
alone  are  her  rightful  inheritance.  Having 
resigned  her  ambitious  projects  upon  the 
former,  without  securing  the  prosperity  of 
the  latter,  she  now  finds  herself  in  a  state 
of  poverty  and  misery,  which  must  require 
many  years  to  remove  completely,  and  to 
restore  her  to  that  exhalted  situation  which 


FRANCE.  321 

she  formerly  held  among  the  nations  of  the 
world.  The  French  are  a  people  by  no 
means  calculated  to  rest  quietly  for  any 
Length  of  time  together,  more  especially 
when  peace  has  brought  with  it  neither 
victory  nor  advantage. 

I  shall  now  quit  these  speculations,  and 
return  to  the  delightful  country  by  which 
we  are  encircled.  Upon  the  left  bank  of 
the  river  Garonne,  near  our  present  quar- 
ters, the  city  of  Agen  forms  a  very  de- 
sirable place  of  residence,  but  which  the 
terms  of  our  treaty  with  Soult  forbid  British 
troops  to  occupy.  The  streets  are  neat 
though  not  wide,  and  there  is  the  usual  de- 
ficiency of  pavement  for  the  accommoda- 
tion of  foot-passengers.  The  shops,  and 
houses  in  general  are  above  mediocrity,  and 
many  of  the  latter  are  of  a  very  superior 
size  and  construction,  forming  the  abodes 
chiefly  of  persons  of  rank  and  property. 
Agen  possesses  a  very  handsome  cathedral 
church,  and  a  fine  old  episcopal  palace. 
The  prefect  of  the  department  resides  in 
this  town,  in  a  very  magnificent  building. 


V 


S22  FRANCE. 

The  theatre  is  small  but  very  neatly  fitted 
up;  and  near  the  town  stands  a  very  ele- 
gant building,  which  is  dedicated  to  the 
reception  of  the  sick  and  wounded  of  the 
army,  as  well  as  the  lower  classes  of  the 
community.  Its  establishment,  as  well  as 
its  structure,  is  remarkable  for  its  magnifi- 
cence. The  approach  to  this  town,  which 
lies  through  a  beautiful  country  admirably 
cultivated,  and  abounding  in  wood,  verdure 
&c.  is  by  means  of  an  horse-ferry  ;  and  the 
river  Garonne,  being  very  rapid,  is  not 
crossed  without  some  difficulty  and  consi- 
derable inconvenience.  It  is  indeed  a  sin- 
gular circumstance  that  there  should  every 
where,  as  far  as  I  have  observed,  be  so 
great  a  deficiency  of  bridges  in  France; 
whereas  in  Spain,  so  much  behind  France 
in  other  points,  bridges  are  thrown  over 
the  rivers  wherever  they  are  required, 
while  ferry-boats  form  the  frequent  sub- 
stitute for  the  former  in  this  country.  Be- 
fore you  enter  thetown,onthe  south-western 
side,  you  have  to  pass  along  a  very  wide, 
straight,  and  excellent  road,  flanked  on  each 
side   bv  a  row  of  fine   elms,  which  is  so 


FRANCE.  323 

thickly  planted  as  to  form  a  delightful 
shade  the  whole  way.  This  avenue  extends 
nearly  two  miles,  and  is  supposed  to  be  one 
of  the  finest  in  the  country.  There  are 
also,  on  each  side,  smaller  roads,  for  the 
accommodation  of  horsemen  and  foot-pas- 
sengers. This  noble  avenue  leads  into  the 
public  walks,  forming  the  most  delightful 
promenade  near  the  banks  of  the  Garonne; 
altogether  constituting  the  pride  and  boast 
of  the  town,  and  to  which  the  inhabitants 
say  there  is  nothing  superior  of  the  kind  in 
France. 

The  Due  d'Angouleme,  on  his  way  to 
Bourdeaux,  lately  passed  through  this  city, 
where  the  usual  preparations  of  triumphal 
arches,  and  emblems  of  the  lily,  illumina- 
tions Sec.  were  prepared  for  his  reception, 
accompanied  by  the  most  enthusiastic  de- 
monstrations of  joy.  A  ball  was  given  in 
the  theatre  on  this  occasion,  which  was  at- 
tended by  all  the  principal  people  of  the 
town  and  neighbourhood  ;  amongst  whom 
were  several  of  the  old  noblesse,  and  others, 
who  seemed  overcome  with  joy  in  being 
y2 


S24  FRANCE. 

able  once  again  to  wear  the  decoration  o 
the  lily  and  the  croix  de  St.  Louis,  after  a 
lapse  of  more  than  twenty  years,  during 
which  period  they  had  not  dared  to  exhibit 
these  honors. 

In  this  neighbourhood  the  various  sports 
of  fishing,  shooting,  hunting  &c.  may  be 
enjoyed  in  the  most  complete  manner,  by 
those  who  take  delight  in  these  diversions. 
I  shall  conclude  this  letter  with  a  few  obser- 
vations upon  the  manners  of  the  French,  so 
far  as  I  have  hitherto  had  an  opportunity  of 
observing  them,  and  endeavour  to  give  you 
a  slight  sketch  of  the  state  of  society. — 
You  probably  have  remarked  that,  upon 
quitting  Spain,  I  spoke  in  raptures  of  the 
decided  superiority  of  the  French  over  the 
Spaniards;  the  former  possessing  more  ease 
and  vivacity,  and  exhibiting  uniformly  more 
hospitable  and  friendly  attentions  to  stran- 
gers than  the  latter.  I  also  noticed,  that 
the  French,  while  they  possessed  greater 
intellectual  powers  were  more  civilized  and 
attentive  to  the  domestic  concerns  of  life, 
and  certainly  more  industrious  and  active. 


FRANCE.  325 

Though  I  am  convinced,  that,  from  all 
we  have  heard  of  France  in  former  days 
the  events  of  the  last  twenty  years  have 
diminished  much  of  the  respectability  of 
their  ancient  character,  and  left  little  else 
remaining  beyond  the  shadow  of  better 
times.  Urbanity,  and  what  is  called  the 
"  savoir  vivre"  appear  to  be  nearly  ba- 
nished from  French  society;  for  it  is  im- 
possible to  look  upon  their  good  humour, 
vivacity,  and  civil  attentions  in  either  of 
these  lights.  The  men  are  negligent  and 
dirty  in  their  dress  and  persons,  and  possess 
a  coarseness  and  vulgarity  in  their  manners 
bordering  often  upon  rudeness.  The  re- 
finement of  the  "  t'ieil  cour"  seems  alto- 
gether to  have  passed  away,  without  having 
been  succeeded  by  any  thing  more  desira- 
ble. Boots,  a  coloured  neck-cloth,  hair 
without  powder,  and  the  hat  seldom  re- 
moved from  the  head,  even  in  company, 
are  indiscriminately  worn  in  morning  walks 
and  evening  parties.  All  the  little  nice- 
ties and  distinctions  in  dress  seem  to  be  dis- 
regarded, and  the  coarse  and  absurd  revo- 
lutionary system  of  equality  seems  to  sane- 


326  FRANCE. 

tion  and  excuse  a  boorishness  and  indiffer- 
ence to  manner,  approaching  frequently  to 
downright  rudeness,  and  a  total  inattention 
to  the  feelings  of  others. 

"With  respect  to  the  other  sex,  whose 
habits  and  customs,  from  necessity,  depend 
very  much  on  those  of  the  former,  I  have 
only  to  observe,  that  they  derogate  in  a 
still  greater  degree  from  those  refinements, 
both  in  dress  and  behaviour,  which  we  are 
accustomed  to  consider  as  forming  the  great 
charm  of  the  female  character.  Neither  is 
there  that  selection,  and  distinction  of  rank 
kept  up  among  them  in  their  evening  as- 
semblies, which  common  etiquette  requires, 
and  which  alone  can  insure  propriety  and 
decorum  of  manners. 

From  every  thing  that  I  can  observe,  the 
former  excellencies  of  the  French  nation, 
with  regard  to  the  subject  I  have  last  dwelt 
upon,  have  fallen  into  decay  and  they  are 
indeed  no  longer  the  same  people,  offering 
now  but  few  pretensions  to  that  fascinating 
character  which  once  rendered  them   so 


FRANCE.  327 

highly  celebrated.  The  absence  too  of  all 
heart  and  feeling,  which,  in  former  times, 
characterized  the  women  of  France,  is  now, 
from  the  extinction  of  their  former  blandish- 
ments, rendered  still  more  unamiable  and 
odious.  When  I  say  this,  you  must  under- 
stand that  I  am  speaking  generally.  There 
are,  undoubtedly,  numerous  exceptions  to 
be  found,  and  I  myself  have,  in  the  course 
of  my  journey,  discovered  many. 


328  FRANCE. 


LETTER  XXVIII. 


Return  to  England  through  the  Country — Beaumont 
— Grenade — Grisolles  —  Mon  tauban — Caussade  — 
Cahors — Brives — Limoges —  Chatteauroux — Arrival 
pi  Orleans. 


Orleans,  June,  1814 

Since  my  last  letter  we  have  bid  farewell 
to  our  cantonments,  and  friends  among 
whom  we  had  resided  some  weeks;  who  did 
not  appear  to  relish  the  probability  of  our 
being  succeeded  by  French  troops,  whose 
character  does  not  seem  to  be  held  in  very 
high  estimation,  even  in  the  opinions  of 
their  own  fellow-citizens. 

The     necessary    arrangements    having 
been  completed,  for  removing  the  British 


FRANCE.  329 

cavalry  from  this  part  of  the  country  to 
Boulogne  and  Calais,  and  thence  to  Eng- 
land,   they  were  in    consequence   divided 
into  two  columns;  in   order   to  avoid  the 
inconvenience  attendant  upon  so  large  a 
body  as  the  whole   passing  by  the  same 
route.     Our  brigade  forms   a   division    of 
that   column  which   takes  the   road  from 
Toulouse  to  Paris,  to  a  certain  distance ; 
when,  leaving  that   city  to   the   right,  we 
are  to  pass  to  Boulogne,  by  a  route  here- 
after to  be  issued,  which  it  is  supposed  wc 
may  complete  about  the  middle  of  July.  The 
motives  for  this  unexpected  measure,  are, 
as  usual,  unknown  to  us,  but  various  con- 
jectures   upon  the  matter    are   of   course 
afloat ;  among  which,    the  avoiding  a  long 
sea  voyage  appears  to  be  one  of  the  most 
probable,  as  the  injury  sustained  by  horses 
in  a  protracted   voyage,    with    all  its  nu- 
merous inconveniencies,  is  not  to  be  put  in 
competition   with    a    long    inarch,   where 
troops  can  advance  upon  a  regular  system, 
without   distressing    either  the   horses   or 
the    men.     Perhaps  tco,  in  an  economical 
point  of  view,  this  plan   may  have  its  ad- 


330  FRANCJC. 

vantages.  The  route  is  sent,  I  understand, 
from  the  office  of  the  French  Secretary  at 
War,  and  orders  have  been  accordingly 
transmitted  to  the  French  troops,  occupy- 
ing places  through  which  we  have  to  pass, 
to  evacuate  their  stations,  and  afford  every 
facility  to  our  progress. 

The  first  part  of  our  advance  was  long, 
tedious,  and  fatiguing,  and  peculiarly  so 
as  it  was  performed  during  very  hot  wea- 
ther. It  has,  however,  latterly  been  at- 
tended with  much  less  fatigue  and  inconve- 
nience, owing,  in  a  great  measure,  to  the 
weather  having  become  much  cooler.  We 
rind  that  as  we  proceed  the  leagues  vary, 
and  becanie  shortey.  In  the  former  parts 
of  the  country  through  which  we  tra- 
versed they  were  very  long,  and  still  less 
defined. 

By  referring  to  the  map,  you  will  per- 
cch  i  that  we  have  followed  a  veiy  irregu- 
lar aiiu  circuitous  couise,  and  by  no  means 
pursued  the  duect  v.  ay ;  for,  after  three  or 
four  days  hard  marching,  we  arrived  at  a 


FRANCE.  331 

few  miles  distance  only  from  the  place 
from  which  we  sat  out.  This  probably 
arose  in  some  respects  from  convenience, 
but  more  particularly  (a  circumstance 
that  I  have  already  pointed  out  in  tra- 
velling through  this  country,)  from  the 
great  scarcity  of  bridges  which  prevails  in 
almost  every  department  we  have  tra- 
versed. 

We  have  passed  through  several  re- 
spectable towns  upon  our  road,  though  at 
the  same  time  we  have  occasionally  been 
put  to  great  shifts,  by  being  forced  to 
take  up  our  quarters  in  small  and  ill-sup- 
plied villages. 

From  the  town  of  Beaumont  (a  very 
neat  and  considerable  town,  eight  leagues 
from  the  place  of  our  starting,)  we  passed 
through  Grenade  and  Toulouse  to  Fennou- 
illet.  At  the  first  of  these  we  experi- 
enced very  hospitable  attentions,  but  in 
the  second  we  met  with  very  different 
treatment;  which,  unfortunately,  proved  a 
sample  only  of  that  which  we  have  subse- 


'j'32  FRANCE. 

quently  experienced.  This  place  has  been 
exhausted  by  the  numerous  soldiery  re- 
cently quartered  upon  it.  Most  of  the 
better  houses  (of  which  there  are  many,) 
are  vacated;  and  in  the  few  that  are  still 
inhabited,  the  people  appear  to  care  little 
about  us,  their  chief  anxiety  being  to  get 
rid  of  us  as  quickly  as  possible.  Fennou- 
illet  turned  out  to  be  a  miserable  village, 
destitute  of  almost  every  comfort  of  life. 

We  next  passed  through  Grisolles  and 
Moiitauban.  The  former  is  a  tolerable 
country  town,  which  we  arrived  at  on  the 
4th  of  June,  and  celebrated  the  King's 
birth-day,  with  that  degree  of  festivity  and 
loyalty  usual  on  such  occasions.  The  lat- 
ter city  is  one  of  the  finest  I  have  seen, 
and  certainly  forms  a  very  desirable  resi- 
dence. It  stands  on  an  elevated  position 
upon  the  river  Tarn,  which'  winds  beneath 
it,  through  verdant  meadows  and  woods,  in 
a  most  beautiful  manner.  The  whole  coun- 
try around  is  extremely  fertile,  and  exhi- 
bits rich  and  extensive  scenery.  The  city 
itself  is  somewhat  less  in  size  than  Ton- 


FRANCE.  S3'3 

louse,  but  far  superior  in  the  neatness  and 
beauty  of  the  streets  and  houses,  wearing 
altogether  an  appearance  of  respectability 
and  fashion  which  does  not  belong  to  the 
latter.     The  collegiate  church  is  a  noble 
and  spacious  building.     The  theatre,  ho- 
tels,   cares,    restaurateurs    &c.     are    also 
upon    a    superior    scale.      An    handsome 
bridge  is  thrown  across  the  Tarn,  by  which 
the  city  is  entered;  and  the  river,  making 
a  sweep  through  the  place,  divides  it  into 
two  parts,  distinguished  by  the  names  of 
the  new  and  the  old  town.     The  Tarn  is 
less  clear  and  wide  than  the  Garonne,  but 
its  banks  are  peculiarly  picturesque.     We 
have  found  that  the  general  aspect  of  the 
country    has    improved    as    we    have    ad- 
vanced from  Toulouse  ;  and  it  approaches 
nearer  to  the  beauty  of  that  which  I  have 
already  described  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  pyrenees.     The  roads,  in  like  manner, 
become  better  as  we  proceed  farther  into 
the  country. 

The  route  to  Caussade  (which  place  has 
nothing  in  itself  particularly  to  recommend 


334-  FRANCE. 

it,)  is  sheltered  by  rows  of  lofty  poplars. 
In  this  small  town  the  majority  of  the  in- 
habitants are  Protestants ;  and  a  plain 
church  is  established  there,  built  by  some 
of  our  countrymen,  and  in  which  the  ser- 
vice is  performed  according  to  the  Protest- 
ant rites. 

To  Cahors  our  road  was  again  flanked 
by  rows  of  fine  poplars.  This  part  of  the 
country  is  celebrated  for  wine,  and  is  of 
course  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  numer- 
ous vineyards,  growing  in  an  apparently 
barren  soil,  for  the  most  part  stony,  and 
lying  chiefly  on  the  sides  and  tops  of  hills ; 
a  species  of  land  which  I  am  told  is  very 
favourable  to  the  growth  of  vines.  The 
wine  is  the  best  I  have  met  with  in  France, 
and  very  similar  to  that  made  about  Bour- 
deaux.  The  generality  of  the  country 
wine  elsewhere  is  scarcely  drinkable,  being 
thin,  light,  and  very  acidulous.  The 
wine  which  is  generally  in  use  in  Portugal 
and  Spain  is  far  superior  to  that  which  is 
commonly  drank  in  France.  The  coun- 
try around  Cahors  is  not  at  all  interest- 


FRANCE.  335 

ing,  being  less  productive  in  wood, 
grasses  &c.  than  that  which  we  have  re- 
cently left. 

The  next  stage  to  Cahors  the  country 
improves  again,  and  becomes  daily  more 
delightful  and  varied  as  you  approach  the 
town  of  Brives,  previously  to  which  We  did 
not  meet  with  any  place  of  note.  Brives 
is  situated  in  a  beautiful  valley  surrounded 
by  one  of  the  finest  countries  I  have  seen, 
consisting  of  verdant  and  woody  hills,  richly 
diversified  with  corn,  vines,  the  variously 
coloured  grasses  (peculiar  to  France),  and 
every  other  requisite  tending  to  form  an 
enchanting  landscape.  The  view  of  the 
town,  previously  to  descending  from  the 
hills,  presents  one  of  the  most  favourable 
prospects  of  it  which  can  be  afforded. — 
Mani  of  the  houses  are  built  completely 
in  the  country  style,  and  detached  from 
each  other ;  they  are  also  generally  roofed 
with  blue  slate,  and  arc  neatly  white- 
washed. It  was  no  inconsiderable  disap- 
pointment to  me,  to  find  this  flattering 
prospect,   of  one   of  the  prettiest  looking 


33  FRANCE. 

towns  I  have  ever  seen,  when  viewed  from 
a  distance,  possessing  nothing  to  recom- 
mend it  within  its  walls ;  the  streets  being; 
narrow,  dirty,  and  confined,  and  most  of 
the  houses  small  and  mean.  This  incon- 
venience is  somewhat  compensated,  how- 
ever, by  a  very  fine  promenade,  flanked 
with  large  trees  on  each  side,  encircling  the 
town,  while  another  favourite  walk  through 
a  rich  meadow,  by  the  side  of  a  clear  ri- 
ver, contributes  much  to  the  beauty  and 
comfort  of  the  place.  Hence,  to  Limoges, 
the  general  aspect  of  the  country  continues 
picturesque,  interesting,  and  very  abundant 
in  wood  ;  the  chessnut,  the  cherry-tree,  and 
the  oak,  being  the  most  common. 

The  city  of  Limoges  is  very  consider- 
able, spacious,  and  populous.  A  number 
of  manufactories  for  cottons,  silks,  hosiery 
&c.  of  all  kinds,  are  here  established;  which 
are  in  a  more  flourishing  condition  than 
those  of  any  town  I  have  visited  in  France. 
The  streets  are  mostly  wide,  clean,  and 
handsome;  and  it  contains  several  open 
spaces,  and  tolerable  squares. 


FRANCE.  337 

The  houses  are  generally  very  lofty,  and 
many  of  them  are  built  in  a  very  superior 
style.  The  public  buildings  are  all  exten- 
sive, and  possess  some  degree  of  gran- 
deur. Among  the  latter,  the  H6tel  de  Pre- 
fecture, and  the  bishop's  palace,  form  the 
most  distinguished,  the  last  of  which  exhibits 
a  noble  appearance.  Its  apartments  are 
spacious,  and  elegantly  furnished  in  the 
antique  style,  and  adorned  with  several  fine 
paintings,  and  other  appropriate  ornaments; 
which,  together  with  extensive  gardens, 
and  beautiful  lawns,  laid  out  in  a  very 
tasteful  manner,  render  it  a  most  delight- 
ful place. 

All  the  churches  have  an  handsome  ap- 
pearance without,  but  their  interior  decora- 
tions,  with  the  exception  of  the  cathedral, 
are  less  complete.  The  hotels,  cafes,  and 
restaurateurs,  are  all  very  elegantly  fitted 
up,  and  have  mostly  attached  to  them  gar- 
dens for  promenades  and  refreshment. 

The  chief  object  of  curiosity,  in  this 
manufacturing  town,  and  upon  which  the 

7, 


338  PRANCE. 

inhabitants  principally  pride  themselves,  is 
that  for  porcelain,  where  I  observed  many 
very  beautiful  and  elegant  specimens;  the 
ornaments  of  which  were  admirably  finish- 
ed, though  the  substance  of  the  ware  itself 
appeared  to  be  of  an  inferior  quality,  in  ge- 
neral, to  that  of  our  best  manufactories. 

Hence  to  Chatteauroux,  the  next  con- 
siderable town,  the  country  still  possesses 
its  woody  and  picturesque  scenery,  with  a 
considerable  share  of  cultivation.      Upon 
our  road,  we  met  with  a  squadron  of  the 
Imperial  Guard  of  Maria   Louisa,   on  its 
march  to  the  southern  provinces.     It  is  a 
very  fine  regiment,  and  was  the  last  which 
quitted  the  Empress's  person.     The  mens* 
appointments   are    suitable   to  their   esta- 
blishment, but  they  are  not  so  well  mount- 
ed, as  might  have  been  naturally  expected 
in  so  distinguished  a  corps.     They  are  all 
above  the  common  stature,  and  wear  brass 
helmets,  ornamented  with  horse-hair ;  their 
uniform  is  green,  with  buff-facings,  jack- 
boots &c. 

As  we  advance  towards  the  north,  our 


TRANCE.  339 

marches  become  shorter,  and  the  leagues 
yet  more  definite  and  small. 

The  town  of  Chatteauroux  is  large  and 
straggling,  and  appears  to  be  the  most 
stupid  and  uninteresting  place  I  have  seen 
throughout  the  course  of  our  journey. 

To  Orleans,  our  route  lay  generally 
through  a  flat  country,  though  not  less 
agreeable  than  that  which  we  had  recently 
traversed.  The  immediate  vicinity  of  this 
place  is  remarkably  fine,  and  the  country 
becomes  again  varied  with  hills,  and  beau- 
tiful and  extensive  woods.  An  opportu- 
nity occurring  to  dispatch  this  letter,  I  shall 
defer  my  description  of  this  celebrated 
city,  when  I  shall,  by  the  leisure  afforded 
from  our  halt  to-morrow,  have  more  time 
to  examine  the  various  circumstances  be- 
longing  to  it  worthy  of  remark. 


22 


340  FRANCE. 


LETTER  XXIX. 


Description  of  Orleans-  Chateau  at  Merriville — Ram- 
bouillet — Conclusion  of  the  first  Route. 

Cantonments,  in  the  Neighbourhood  of  Paris, 
July,  1814. 

The  extent  of  our  original  route  is  now 
completed,  and  we  are,  I  understand,  after 
a  short  halt,  to  shape  our  course  by  a  fresh 
route  (issued  at  Orleans)  to  Boulogne  or 
Calais.  It  being  my  intention  to  spend  a 
short  time  at  Paris,  before  we  embark,  I 
shall  occupy  the  interval,  previously  to  my 
setting  oft'  for  the  capital,  in  concluding  my 
account  of  our  march  to  this  place. 

The     neighbourhood    of    Orleans    is 
very  populous,  and  indeed  abounds  with 


FRANCE.  S41 

more  than  common  beauties.  The  ap- 
proach to  the  town  is  unrivalled  by  any 
thing  I  have  yet  seen,  and  would  grace  the 
finest  capital.  After  crossing  the  Loire, 
which,  though  certainly  inferior  to  the  Ga- 
ronne, is  nevertheless  surrounded  by  very 
picturesque  scenery,  we  entered  upon  what 
is  called  the  north  of  France,  this  river, 
forming  the  boundary  between  the  two 
great  divisions  of  the  country.  A  very  ex- 
tensive, wide,  and  straight  avenue  leads, 
between  rows  of  fine  trees,  to  the  entrance  of 
the  city,  over  a  large  and  handsome  bridge 
thrown  across  the  Loire;  which  is  succeeded 
by  the  main  street,  leading  up  to  the  cen- 
tre of  the  town,  a  spacious  open  place,  and 
surrounded  by  well-built  houses.  The  street 
is  broad  and  regular,  very  long,  and  fur- 
nished with  an  excellent  pavement  for  foot- 
passengers.  The  houses  are  all  uniform  and 
lofty,  and  reminded  me  very  much  of  the 
finest  parts  of  Bath.  A  great  many  shops,  on 
an  enlarged  and  showy  scale,  occupy  the 
ground  floors  of  most  of  the  houses.  At  the 
north-east  corner  of  the  great  central  square 
is  placed  a  bronzed  statue  of  Joan  of  Arc, 


342  FRANCE. 

upon  a  marble  pedestal,  embellished  with 
bass  reliefs  illustrative  of  various  circum- 
stances connected  with  the  life  of  that  ce- 
lebrated heroine. 

The  remainder  of  the  town  is  distributed 
into  an  infinity  of  streets,  the  whole  form- 
ing the  appearance  of  a  large,  populous, 
and  flourishing  city.  The  major  part  of  the 
place  is  quite  modern,  the  fury  of  the  revo- 
lution having  spread  itself  through  the 
streets,  and  destroyed  most  of  the  houses. 
The  present  population  is  estimated  at 
about  forty-five  thousand,  which  I  believe, 
is  much  less  than  the  number  that  it  for- 
merly possessed. 

The  society  of  Orleans  appears  to  be 
one  of  its  greatest  advantanges.  Many 
persons  of  gentility  reside  in  the  town  and 
neighbourhood,  and  seem  to  be  very  so- 
ciably inclined.  The  English  are  held 
in  very  general  estimation  among  them. 
There  are  two  considerable  manufactories 
in  Orleans  worthy  of  notice.  The  one  for 
porcelain  exhibits  a  fine  assemblage  of  va- 


FRANCE.  343 

rious  specimens.  That  for  the  making  of 
silk  is  the  most  interesting  j  consisting  in 
the  conversion  of  offal  into  good  silk,  which 
is  then  transmitted  to  Lyons  to  be  made  up 
into  the  various  forms  in  which  it  is  sold. 
This  factory  is  worked  by  a  steam  engine, 
of  a  power  equal  to  that  of  ninety  horses. 

About  a  league  and  an  half  from  the 
town,  to  the  north-east,  stands  an  old  man- 
sion, built  by  the  famous  Lord  Bolingbroke, 
which  now  exhibits  a  very  imperfect  speci- 
men only,  of  the  exquisite  taste  of  that  ele- 
gant-minded and  accomplished  nobleman. 
The  source  of  the  Loire  takes  its  rise  in 
this  neighbourhood,  and  forms  an  object 
of  general  interest.  One  of  the  principal 
buildings  worthy  of  notice,  in  the  town,  is 
the  cathedral,  the  most  spacious  and  ele- 
gant edifice  of  the  kind  which  I  have  seen  in 
France.  I  entered  it  one  morning,  during 
the  performance  of  high  mass.  The  body 
of  the  church  was  excessively  thronged, 
and  the  aisle  was  occupied  by  the  different 
ministers  of  the  church,  and  a  company  of 
soldiers  under   arms,  who  assisted  at  the 


344  FRANCE. 

ceremony.  This  mixture  of  religious  and 
military  pomp  was  novel;  yet,  however 
contrary  to  our  feelings  and  opinions  it  may 
appear,  nevertheless,  added  much  to  the 
awe  and  solemnity  of  the  scene.  At  the 
elevation  of  the  host,  the  commanding  of- 
ficer gave  the  word,  and  the  men  presented 
arms,  dropt  upon  one  knee,  and  rested  the 
butt-end  of  their  musquets  upon  the  floor, 
supported  by  the  left  hand,  while  their 
right  touched  the  peakes  of  their  caps.  A 
flourish  of  drums  and  trumpets  accom. 
panied  the  full  organ,  and  a  chorus  from 
the  band  of  singers,  echoing  through  the 
lofty  and  vaulted  roof  of  the  cathedral,  pro- 
duced a  very  grand  and  sublime  effect. 

On  our  journey  from  Orleans  to  our  pre- 
sent head-quarters,  we  passed  through  no 
towns  of  note;  but  the  country  is  exceed- 
ingly fine  throughout,  very  interesting,  and 
extremely  populous.  Many  chateaus  ap- 
pear in  all  directions,  but  none  of  them 
kept  up  in  any  style,  and  many  of  them 
falling  into  decay.  Near  the  village  of 
Merriville,   I  was  lodged  in  a  chateau  of 


FRANCE.  345 

great  magnificence,  which  it  would  require 
a  very  ample  fortune  to  support  in  a  man- 
ner suitable  to  its  scale.  It  is  the  property 
of  a  widow,  whose  husband  was  seized  in 
thib  mansion,  during  the  phrensy  of  the  re- 
volution ;  and  being  a  gentleman  of  wealth 
and  power  among  the  aristocrats,  was 
dragged  to  the  guillotine,  where  he  for- 
feited his  life  to'the  rapacious  desires  of  the 
predominant  party.  His  widow,  unable 
to  continue  the  necessary  splendor  of 
the  chateau,  retired  to  Paris,  to  live 
upon  her  broken  fortune;  leaving  a  trusty 
domestic  in  charge  of  the  house,  and 
such  furniture,  and  other  valuables,  as 
had  escaped  the  cupidity  of  the  revolu- 
tionists. 

This  magnificent  chateau,  is  the  finest 
I  have  seen  in  the  country,  and  is  well 
worthy  of  the  notice  of  all  travellers 
passing  through  these  parts,  as  it  prob- 
ably furnishes  one  of  the  best  specimens 
of  the  remains  of  feudal  grandeur  to  be 
met  with  in  France.     The   rooms,  which 


346  FIIANCB. 

are  numerous  throughout  the  building, 
and  admirably  arranged,  are  spacious, 
costly,  and  elegantly  furnished,  while  com- 
fort and  convenience  appear  to  be  every 
where  united.  The  various  paintings  which 
are  distributed  about  the  principal  rooms, 
form  no  mean  collection.  A  set  of  Claude 
Lorrain's,  in  particular,  arrested  my  atten- 
tion as  the  finest  I  had  ever  seen. — The 
extensive  grounds  belonging  to  this  de- 
lightful mansion  are  on  a  scale  of  beauty 
and  magnificence  commensurate  with  the 
ediiice  itself. 

Though  the  country,  from  Orleans  to  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  metropolis,  is  pleas- 
ing, from  the  variety  and  abundance  of 
verdure  and  foliage  with  which  it  abounds, 
yet  it  is  less  cultivated  than  farther  south. 
Corn  and  grapes  are  grown  in  less  quanti- 
ties, and  it  contains  a  much  greater  pro- 
portion of  waste  land,  and  less  inclosures. 
On  our  way  hither,  we  passed  through  the 
small  but  handsome  town  of  Rambouillet, 
where  the  celebrated  hunting  mansion  of 


FRANCE.  347 

Buonaparte,  bearing  his  name,  is  situated. 
The  house  is  spacious,  and  elegantly  built 
of  white  stone,  and  stands  in  a  beautiful 
park,  surrounded  by  fine  woods.  It  was 
at  this  place  that  the  Emperor  first  met  the 
Arch-duchess,  previously  to  his  marriage. 
A  magnificent  suite  of  stables,  called  "  La 
Petite  Ecurie,"  is  attached  to  the  pre- 
mises. 

I  have  noticed,  I  believe  every  thing,  so 
far  as  my  experience  has  gone,  worthy  of 
remark  in  this  district,  and  shall  again  re- 
turn to  our  progressive  march.  The  latter 
stages  of  our  route  have  been  confined  to 
places  of  secondary  import  only,  such  as 
Montfbrt,  Mantes,  and  Estampes  j  which, 
however,  are  situated  in  the  midst  of 
very  beautiful  scenery,  though  they  have 
nothing  particular  to  recommend  them,  be- 
yond what  may  be  usually  expected  from 
small  towns  on  the  high  road,  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  a  metropolis. 

I  shall,  therefore,  conclude  this  letter, 
and    defer  till  I  have  reached   the  coast, 


348  FRANCE, 

many  general  remarks  which  have  oc- 
curred to  me  during  my  progress;  in  order 
that  I  may  speak  of  the  customs  and  man- 
ners of  the  nation  at  large,  with  more 
coolness  and  greater  certainty  than  I  am 
at  present  able  to  command. 


FRANCE.  349 


LETTER  XXX. 


Entrance    into    Paris — General    Appearance  of  the 
City — The  Louvre — Statues — Gallery  of  Paintings. 


Paris,  July,  1814. 

Had  I  not  been  fully  prepared  to  find  the 
general  aspect  of  Paris  just  what  it  is,  I 
should    certainly    have    felt    disappointed 
upon  a  cursory  view  of  it ;  as,  in  regard  to 
its  size,  and  the  appearance  of  its  streets, 
it  is  upon  a  very  inferior  scale  to  that  which 
the  imagination   might  naturally  form  of 
the  capital  of  so  powerful  and  distinguished 
a  nation  as  France.     As  I  entered  the  city 
by  the  western  barrier,  when  the  setting 
sun,  upon  a  beautiful  summer's  evening, 
shed   a   splendor    over    the   surrounding 
scenery,  and  displayed   the  whole   to  the 


350  FRANCE. 

greatest  possible  advantage,  my  first  im- 
pression of  the  city  was  extremely  favour- 
able; and  my  ideas  of  it  were  much  raised, 
by  the  striking  appearance  of  the  Bois  de 
Boulogne,  and  les  Champs  Elysees,  having 
the  chateau  and  gardens  of  the  Thuilleries 
upon  my  right,  and  La  Place  Vendome 
upon  my  left;  altogether  certainly  em- 
bracing the  finest  objects  which  this  city 
can  boast  of,  and  fully  calculated  to  afford 
the  idea  of  a  grand  and  magnificent  metro- 
polis. But,  as  I  passed  more  into  the  in- 
terior of  the  place,  I  could  not  avoid  being 
reminded  pretty  forcibly  of  Sterne's  ob- 
servations upon  a  similar  occasion,  and 
hoped  with  him,  that  the  city  might  itself, 
upon  a  more  extended  acquaintance  with 
it,  "  look  better  than  it  smelt,"  and  wished 
that  "  the  streets  were  but  a  thought 
wider."  With  respect  to  the  generality 
of  the  streets,  there  are  many  to  be  found 
much  more  handsome  in  the  best  provin- 
cial towns ;  nor  is  this  celebrated  city,  in 
this  respect,  equal  to  the  exterior  appear- 
ance, even  of  the  principal  parts  of  Lisbon. 
It  is  also  excelled,  I  am  tolo),  by  Madrid, 


FRANCE.  351 

in  the  general  coup-d'ceil,  and  with  Lon- 
don, it  has  not  the  smallest  pretensions  to 
vie.  Notwithstanding  these  disadvantages, 
however,  it  has  attractions  to  boast  of  in  such 
infinite  variety,  as  I  believe,  are  scarcely 
to  be  rivalled  in  any  other  capital.  In 
spite  of  the  narrowness,  and  dirty  state  of 
the  streets,  and  the  almost  entire  defi- 
ciency of  flagged  pavement,  it  is  impos- 
sible not  to  feel  interest  and  delight  in 
walking  through  them. 

To  enter  minutely  into  a  detail  of  every 
novelty  in  this  city,  would  require  much 
more  time  than  I  can  afford  to  devote  for 
the  purpose.  I  shall  merely,  therefore,  at- 
tempt to  give  you  the  feelings  and  ideas 
with  which  some  of  the  principal  features 
have  impressed  me.  For  descriptions  of 
Paris  are  so  common,  and  every  item  has 
been  so  frequently  described,  that  it  would 
be  an  useless  piece  of  tautology  to  dwell 
materially  upon  every  thing  which  attracts 
and  interests  a  stranger.  The  various  cu- 
riosities,  native  as  well  as  foreign,  with 
which  this  city  abounds,  appear,  upon  in- 


352  FltAVCE. 

specting  the  list,  to  be  so  multifarious 
unusual,  that  I  scarcely  know  how. 
a  residence  of  a  few  days,  to  reduce  it  to 
any  sort  of  regular  arrangement. 

The  Galleries  of  Pictures  and  Sfatues  in 
the  Louvre,  unquestionably  demand  pre- 
eminence of  attention  before  every  other  ex- 
hibition. To  give  you  any  thing  like  an 
adequate  description  of  those  magnificent 
specimens  of  art  would  require  volumes,  a 
large  portion  of  time,  and  an  acquaint- 
ance with  the  subject,  which  I  do  not  affect 
to  possess.  I  shall,  therefore,  content  my- 
self with  endeavouring  co  present  you  with 
a  very  general  view  of  those  noble  monu- 
ments of  human  genius. 

The  Gallery  of  Statues  is  divided  into 
several  "  salles,"  or  halls,  each  of  which 
derives  its  name  from  its  containing  some 
principal  figure  or  figures  of  antiquity, — 
thus,  there  is  the  Salle  des  Saisons — de 
L'Apollon — du  Laocoon  &c. — from  those 
celebrated  statues  peculiarly  ornamenting 
the  respective  divisions  of  the  gallery  in 


FRANCE.  353 

which  they  are  placed.  The  effect  pro- 
duced by  these  divisions,  though  it  may 
partake  somewhat  of  prettiness,  is  certainly 
deficient  in  grandeur;  and  in  that  imposing 
appearance,  which  might  have  been  accom- 
plished by  a  more  skilful  arrangement  of 
the  statues  in  one  spacious  hall  or  tem- 
ple, classically  designed,  and  appropriately 
decorated,  for  the  reception  of  the  illus- 
trious remains  of  former  ages.  In  their 
present  situation  the  general  effect  is  poor 
and  insipid,  in  comparison  with  that,  which, 
I  am  told,  they  produced  before  French 
violence  and  rapacity  had  torn  them  from 
their  magnificent  and  venerated  abodes  in 
the  Italian  States.  Of  the  statues  them- 
selves, whether  individually  or  collectively 
considered,  it  is  impossible  to  speak  in  suf- 
ficiently high  terms.  I  believe  I  may  safe- 
ly affirm,  that  there  is  not  an  indifferent 
piece  of  sculpture  even  throughout  the 
collection  ;  and  some  of  the  specimens  are 
so  exquisitely  graceful,  and  inimitably  cor- 
rect and  beautiful,  that  they  equally  defy 
the  language  of  the  author  to  describe,  or 
the  pencil  of  the  artist  to  delineate  them. 

A  A 


354  PRANCE. 

Those  that  chiefly  attracted  my  atten- 
tion were  the  Group  of  the  Laocoon ;  the 
Meleager;  the  Mercury;  the  Crouching 
Venus ;  the  Venus  de  Medicis ;  and  above 
all,  the  Apollo  Belvedere. 

The  first  of  these,  though  certainly  a 
very  wonderful  production,  did  not,  I 
must  confess,  whether  from  the  lowness  of 
its  present  situation,  or  my  own  want  of 
taste,  come  quite  up  to  the  ideas  which 
the  uniform  accounts  of  travellers  had  led 
me  to  entertain  of  it;  though  I  might  per- 
haps find  it  difficult  to  point  out  in  what 
particular  it  disappointed  me.  The  body 
and  thighs  of  the  Mercury  (called  also  the 
Belvedere  Antinous,)  surpass  almost  every 
thing  in  the  Gallery,  for  fleshiness  of  effect, 
and  beauty  of  form  ;  but  the  legs  of  the 
figure  are  too  small,  and  the  feet  are  sup- 
posed to  have  been  supplied  by  some  an- 
cient Roman  artist.  The  Crouching  Ve- 
nus is  somewhat  less  than  life,  but  is  a 
beautiful  little  figure,  and  one  of  the  most 
truly  feminine  characters  I  have  ever  seen. 
The  front  view  of  the  Meleager  is  fine,  but 


FRANCE.  355 

in  others  different  parts  of  the  body  appear 
very  inferior.  The  Venus  de  Medicis  is 
the  loveliest  figure  of  woman  I  can  ima- 
gine; but  it  strikes  me  to  be  merely  a  wo- 
man, and  to  partake  very  little  of  the  cha- 
racter of  the  goddess,  It  has  been  much 
injured  by  time.  To  attempt  a  description 
of  the  astonishing  statue  of  the  Apollo, 
would,  in  me,  be  perfectly  absurd.  It 
strikes  me  as  by  far  the  greatest  effort  of 
human  genius  to  be  met  with  in  this  Gal- 
lery, or  I  should  suppose  in  any  other  part 
of  the  world.  Those  who  have  seen  casts 
only  of  this  figure  may  form  some  concep- 
tion of  its  beauties  and  general  character, 
though  their  ideas  must  fall  miserably  short 
of  that,  with  which  a  sight  of  the  figure  it- 
self would  furnish  them.  The  youth,  the 
the  majesty,  the  tremendous  energy,  and 
(if  I  may  be  allowed  the  expression,) 
downright  motion  of  the  figure,  must  be 
beheld  first,  before  any  just  estimate  can  be 
formed  of  this-  inimitable  work. 

With  this  magical  figure  I    shall    con- 
clude my  remarks  upon    the  Gallery   of 
a  a  2 


55$  FRANCE. 

Statues,  and  proceed  to  that  of  the  Pic- 
tures ;  the  effect  of  which,  even  at  the  first 
entrance,  is  strikingly  magnificent,  and  al- 
most bewilders  the  sense. 

The  Gallery  is  divided  into  several  com- 
partments, some  of  which  are  of  an  im- 
mense extent,  and  one  of  them  really  looks, 
from   its  length  and   width,  like  another 
Pall-Mail.    The  whole  of  the  walls  are  co- 
vered with  the  finest  paintings,  many  of 
which  form  the  most  celebrated  produc- 
tions of  the  first  masters  of  the  art,  and 
nearly  all  of  the  rest  are  greatly  above  me- 
diocrity.    They  are  divided   into  distinct 
classes,     according     to    their    respective 
schools,  and  much  pains  and  considerable 
taste  appear  to  have  been  shewn  in  their 
arrangement. 

In  speaking  of  the  pictures  (which  I 
enter  upon  with  great  diffidence,)  I  shall 
confine  myself  merely  to  three  or  four, 
that  struck  me  more  particularly  than 
the  rest ;  though,  there  are  so  many  pos- 
sessing almost  equal  claims  to  excellence, 


FRANCE.  S57 

that  I  hardly  know  whether  I  am  doing 
them  justice  by  making  so  partial  a  selec- 
tion: but,  what  am  I  to  do,  surrounded  as  I 
am,  by  most  of  the  best  works  of  such 
artists  as  Raphael,  Titian,  Guido,  Corre- 
gio,  Poussin,  Paul  Veronese,  Rubens,  Do- 
menichino,  &c.  each  of  whose  works  it 
would  require  a  volume  to  describe  ?  As  it 
is  impossible  then  to  mention  all,  I  must 
content  myself  with  giving  you  an  account 
of  a  few  of  the  most  striking  productions, 
such  as  the  Transfiguration,  by  Raphael ; 
the  St.  Peter,  Martyr,  by  Titian ;  and  the 
Deluge,  by  Nicolas  Poussin. 

The  Transfiguration  has  been  so  often 
and  so  ably  described,  that  I  have  little  to 
add  respecting  it.  It  is  certainly  a  very 
fine  and  uncommon  picture,  but  I  suspect 
that  at  Jirst  you  would  not  greatly  admire 
it.  It  is  so  very  different  in  its  appearance 
from  any  of  the  pictures  we  are  accus- 
tomed to  see  in  modern  times,  and  is 
formed  upon  such  very  opposite  principles, 
that  it  is  some  time  before  the  eye  can  ac. 
custom  itself  to  the  sharp  accuracy  of  it* 


358  FRANCE. 

outlines,  and  scattered  nature  of  its  effect. 
After  I  had,  however,  attentively  contem- 
plated the  picture,  my  eye  became  gradu- 
ally reconciled  to  its  peculiarities.  Of  all 
the  pictures  I  have  ever  seen,  the  Transfi- 
guration gives  me  the  best  idea  of  an  as- 
semblage of  men  in  the  open  air  ;  and  no- 
thing can  exceed  the  drawing  of  the  figures, 
the  strength  of  the  characters,  the  truth  of 
the  expressions,  and  the  dignified  proprie- 
ty of  the  whole  design.  It  is  a  picture  to 
be  studied  deeply,  and  not  merely  seen. 

The  Murder  of  St.  Peter,  Martyr,  seems 
to  be  the  most  perfect  picture  in  the  Gal- 
lery; for  it  unites  in  an  eminent  degree 
almost  every  excellence  of  the  art.  The 
landscape  part  is  wild,  savage,  and  lonely, 
admirably  suited  to  the  subject,  and  most 
powerfully  executed  ;  no  sign  of  cultiva- 
tion appears  throughout  the  scene ;  but 
every  thing  seems  remote  from  the  foot- 
steps of  civilized  man.  The  landscape  in 
itself,  alone,  is  terrible  ;  with  the  addition 
of  the  figures,  it  forms  a  scene  of  horror, 
which  I  should  think  it  scarcely  within  the 


FRANCE.  359 

scope  of  painting  to  surpass.  The  hardy 
and  unrelenting  ferocity  of  the  robber, 
the  trembling  fear,  and  convulsive  agonies 
of  the  flying  monk,  and  the  calm  and  dig- 
nified resignation  of  the  murdered  saint, 
are  master-pieces  of  expression,  that,  as  far 
as  I  have  seen,  have  never  been  equalled  by 
any  hand.  The  colouring  and  effect  of  the 
picture  are  also  inimitable. 

The  Deluge,  by  Poussin,  though  a  com- 
paratively small  picture,  struck  me  (and  I 
believe  is  generally  considered)  as  one  of 
the  first  in  the  collection.  It  has  probably 
acquired  its  reputation  more  from  the  ex- 
traordinary medium  diffused  over  the 
whole,  than  from  any  other  of  its  admira- 
ble qualities.  The  heavens  seem  to  de- 
scend in  one  continued  deluge,  which  si- 
lently and  gradually  swallows  up  the  world. 
There  is  nothing  in  the  picture  that  gives 
the  idea  of  a  turbulent  and  transient  storm  j 
the  whole  seems  to  go  forward  with  solemn 
and  dreadful  certainty;  inevitable  and  uni- 
versal destruction  seems  at  hand.  The  vari- 


360  FRANCE. 

ous  groups  of  distressed  figures,  incidentally 
introduced  throughout  the  scene,  are  hap- 
pily conceived;  butthe  most  surprising  thing 
to  me  in  the  whole  picture  is,  the  bloated 
and  saturated  appearance  which  the  artist 
has  contrived  to  throw  into  every  object 
throughout  the  painting. 

I  mention  these  three  pictures  particu- 
larly, because  I  received  more  pleasure  in 
looking  at  them  than  from  most  of  the 
others ;  many  of  which,  however,  if  my  li- 
mits would  permit,  I  should  have  great 
pleasure  in  describing  to  you,  particularly 
the  magnificent  paintings  by  Rubens,  Paul 
Veronese,  and  Tintoret ;  many  of  whose 
best  works  are  here  collected.  Some  pic- 
tures also,  by  Le  Brun,  of  Alexander's 
Battles,  are  well  worthy  of  notice,  and 
make  a  figure  among  the  wonders  in  art 
by  which  they  are  surrounded,  that  I 
should  not  have  previously  expected. 

With  this  slight  sketch  of  the  Galleries 
of  Pictures  and  Statues  I  shall  now  con- 


FRANCE.  36 1 

elude  my  letter,  hoping  that  what  1  have 
written  may  serve  to  entertain  you,  and 
furnish  you  with  some  idea,  however  im- 
perfect an  one,  of  these  stupendous  and 
magnificent  collections. 


362  FRANCE. 


LETTER  XXXI. 


'Ilie  Court,  and  Thuilleries — Buonaparte's  Improve' 
merits  in  Paris — Fountain  of  Elephants — Le  Jar- 
din  des  Plantes — Hospital  for  Invalids —  L'Ecole 
Milifaire  Sfc. —  Catacombs — Bastile — Bridge  o/Au~ 
stcrlitz—Mustc  des  Monumens  Francais —  Notre 
Dame, 


Paris,  July,  1814. 

Since  I  last  wrote  to  you,  I  have  been  to 
court,  according  to  the  customary  eti- 
quette of  British  officers  in  Paris ;  where, 
as  you  may  well  suppose,  a  most  gracious 
reception  is  insured.  The  attentions  paid 
by  the  King,  and  the  royal  family  in  ge- 
neral, to  our  officers,  is  strongly  marked; 
nor  is  the  household  at  large  deficient  in 
this  respect;  not  indeed,  that  their  civilities 


FRANCE.  363 

are  confined  to  the  military,  *  un  Anglois* 
is  a  sufficient  passport  every  where  in  Paris. 
No  insolent  police  officers  arrest  your  ap- 
proach to  the  interior  of  the  palace  when  in 
an  undress,  nor  powdered  lacquies,  and 
"les  messieurs  qui  mangentle  bceuf  "(as  the 
French  term  our  beef -eaters')  await,  as  with 
us,  the  indispensable  fee.  The  anti-rooms, 
and  state  chambers  of  the  Thuilleries  are 
spacious,  and  magnificently  furnished,  and 
adorned  with  beautiful  portraits  and  other 
paintings. 

The  wholepalace  is,  indeed,  worthy  of  the 
capital  of  a  great  nation,  not  only  in  its  in- 
terior decorations,  but  also  in  its  external 
form  ;  the  extent,  magnificence,  and  ele- 
gance of  which  are  not  to  be  easily  paral- 
leled. The  gardens  of  the  chateau,  tastily 
laid  out,  and  ornamented  with  fine  statues, 
inclosed  within  a  cresent  of  handsome  iron- 
railings,  the  top  of  each  rail  gilded,  form, 
with  the  Elysian  Fields,  and  La  Place  de 
Louis  Quinze  (ci-devant  Place  de  la  Revo- 
lution) a  coup-d'ceil  unrivalled  by  any 
thing  of  the  kind  in  our  country.     Within 


364  FRANCE. 

the  chateau,  on  casting  the  eyes  over  the 
carved-work  of  the  chambers,  halls  &c.  as 
well  as  the  stone-work  without,  monuments 
of  Buonaparte's  vanity   are   every  where 
displayed,  by  the  interposition  of  a  large 
letter  (N)  between  each  medallion  or  com- 
partment of  the  bass  reliefs.     This  magical 
letter  is,  indeed,  pretty  liberally  bestowed 
upon  most  public  buildings  throughout  the 
city;    nor   has  any  opportunity  been  ne- 
glected,   by    this   extraordinary    man,   to 
stamp  a  memento  for  posterity  of  his  reign. 
In  the  pursuit  of  his  ambitious  projects, 
Paris   has  undoubtedly  gained  much  ad- 
vantage; and,  it  now  wears,  as  I  am  as- 
sured by  some  who  knew  it  before  the  re- 
volution, a  very  imposing  aspect,  compared 
with  its  appearance  in  former  days.     Mo- 
numents and  bridges,  illustrative  of  his  vic- 
tories and  fame,  are  perpetually  to  be  met 
with;    streets  are  widened,  public  build- 
ings  repaired   and    newly    adorned,    and 
several  edifices  erected  ;  while  institutions 
have  been  formed,  and  old  ones  improved, 
very  greatly  for  the  public  benefit. 

Being  driven  about  the  town   one  day, 


FRANCE.  S6.5 

in  an  hackney-coach,  I  stopped  to  observe 
some  objects  of  curiosity,  in  an  unfinished 
state,  and  among  them,  the  celebrated 
fountain  of  the  elephant.  My  coachman, 
who  possessed  great  acuteness,  and  much 
information,  answered  all  my  endless  ques- 
tions with  the  usual  vivacity  of  the  French; 
and  told  me,  that  this  fountain  was  a 
thought  of  Buonaparte's,  to  employ  the 
spare  bronze,  made  from  the  cannon  taken 
at  Austerlitz,  which  remained  after  casing 
the  column  erected  in  La  Place  de  Ven- 
dome  to  commemorate  the  deeds  of  the 
grand  army.  I  asked  him,  when  it  was 
commenced,  and  when  Louis  XVIII. 
would  finish  it.  To  the  latter  question  he 
replied,  with  a  significant  shrug  of  the 
shoulders,  and  an  indescribable  and  em- 
phatic puckering  up  of  his  mouth  into  a 
look  of  perfect  contempt — "  Jamais!" 
making,  at  least,  four  syllables  of  the  word, 
of  which  the  finest  actor  could  not  have 
given  the  whole  meaning,  and  the  feeling-: 
which  accompanied  its  pronunciation,  with 
fuller  effect.  His  jamais  seemed  to  "  stretch 
out   to   the  crack  of  doom."      It  is   this 


S66  FRANCE. 

part  of  Buonaparte's  character;  hisattention 
to  the  greatness  of  his  kingdom;  his  im- 
provements and  endowments;  and  his  vic- 
tories, the  emblems  of  which,  he  omitted  no 
opportunities  of  subjecting  to  the  perpetual 
notice  of  the  nation,  that  has  gained  him 
the  hearts  of  Frenchmen ;  while  his  weak- 
nesses and  vices  are  obscured  in  the  blaze  of 
glory,  which  has  ever  surrounded  his  impe- 
tuous career.  If  any  good  befel,  it  was 
Buonaparte's;  if  evil — '  la  mal  fortune* 
was  in  fault,  the  season,  the  stars,  or 
any  thing,  in  short,  but  their  Grand  Em- 
pereur. 

Among  the  various  exhibitions  worthy 
of  notice,  one  of  the  most  interesting  is 
'  Le  Jardin  des  Plantes,'  where  the  na- 
turalist may  find  abundant  sources  of 
amusement,  in  almost  every  branch  of  na- 
tural history. 

The  gardens  are  spacious  and  finely  laid 
out;  the  one  appropriated  to  botany  is 
preserved  in  exact  and  excellent  order.  A 
variety  of  animals  have  plats   of  ground 


FRANCE.  367 

and  dens  allotted  to  them,  while  the  most 
ferocious  beasts  are  confined  in  cages.  An 
elegant  brick  palace,  with  a  spacious  yard 
and  a  large  pool  of  water  attached  to  it, 
and  every  suitable  accommodation,  is 
erected  for  the  residence  of  his  serene  high- 
ness, the  elephant,  who  has  hitherto  lived 
in  a  less  spacious  and  comfortable  place. 
Several  attempts  have  been  recently  made, 
to  conduct  his  stupendous  majesty  from 
the  old  to  the  new  palace;  but,  his  attach- 
ment to  the  former  is  so  strong,  that  it 
has  baffled,  hitherto,  all  efforts  to  remove 
him,  and  he  obstinately  refuses  all  notices 
to  quit. 

A  menagerie  of  rare  and  beautiful  birds, 
forms  another  very  attractive  department 
of  this  grand  national  establishment.  With- 
in doors,  the  inanimate  treasures  of  nature 
are  arranged  in  the  most  extensive  and 
complete  manner  I  ever  witnessed. 

The  collection  of  fossils,  minerals,  petre- 
factions,  coralines,  shells  &c.  as  well  as  in- 
<ects,  birds,  reptiles,  and  animals  of  every 


368  FRANCE. 

class  and  species,  preserved  in  all  their 
native  beauty  and  perfection,  almost  leads 
the  stranger  to  suppose,  that  he  has  been 
transported  to  the  garden  of  paradise.— 
Another  building  is  dedicated  to  human 
and  comparative  anatomy;  together  with 
innumerable  specimens  of  monsters,  and 
various  diseases  incident  to  our  frame.  The 
comparative  anatomy  is  the  most  extensive 
I  ever  saw,  and  exceeds  every  thing  of  the 
kind  to  be  met  with  in  our  country. — 
Where  real  specimens  cannot  be  preserved, 
models  in  wax,  accurately  exemplify  vari- 
ous phenomena  of  animalization. 

The  preparation  which  seems  to  excite 
most  popular  curiosity,  is  that  of  the  sto- 
mach of  a  boy,  containing  a  little  child  in 
its  fcetal  state.  A  similar  circumstance,  in 
a  boy  more  advanced  in  years,  has,  I  learn, 
been  lately  discovered  in  London,  and  the 
preparation  deposited  in  the  Hunterian 
Collection  of  the  College  of  Surgeons.  To 
such  subjects,  however,  as  these,  I  perhaps 
attach  more  interest  than  you  are  likely 
to  feel ;  I  shall  therefore  proceed  to  treat 


FRANCE.  369 

of  others  of  a  more  generally  pleasing  na- 
ture. 

Among  the  public  buildings,  the  Hos- 
pital of  Invalids  forms  one  of  the  most  dis- 
tinguished ornaments  of  Paris,  and  being 
surmounted  with  a  gilded  dome,  makes  a 
conspicuous  figure   in  almost  every  view  of 
the  city.     The  different  halls,  passages,  and 
apartments  belonging  to  this  charity,  are 
spacious  and  handsomely  constructed.  The 
mess-room  for  the  officers,  as  well  as  the 
one  appropriated  to  the  privates,  are  par- 
ticularly worthy  of  notice.     The  former  is 
furnished  with  beautiful  paintings,  of  vari- 
ous descriptions.      The  chapel,  however, 
exhibits  the  principal  attraction,  from  the 
beauty  of  its  structure,  and  its  containing 
several  monuments  erected  to  the  memory 
of  departed    heroes;    those    of    Turenne 
and  Vauban  being  the  finest.     Around  tiie 
inside  of  the  dome,  hundreds  of  trophies, 
taken  from  the  enemies  of  the  nation,  were 
lately  suspended,  which,  on  the  approach 
of  the  allies,  were  all  burnt.     Buonaparte 
has  caused  his  name  to  be  venerated  among 
the  veterans  of  this  establishment,  by  having 

B  B 


370  FRANCE. 

added  to  their  comforts  and  amusements  an 
extensive  library,  in  which  the  invalids  are 
allowed  to  read  during  certain  hours  of  the 
day.  A  spacious  garden  and  pleasure- 
grounds  are  attached  to  the  building,  in 
which  the  pensioners  enjoy  some  employ- 
ment and  much  recreation. 

From  this  place,  I  paid  a  visit  to  L'Ecole 
Militaire,  now  converted  into  a  spacious 
barrack.  Adjacent  to  it,  is  the  Champ  de 
Mars,  where  my  attention  was  directed  to 
the  embankments  raised  during  the  enthu- 
siasm of  the  revolution,  for  the  people  to 
assemble  and  swear  allegiance  to  the  vari- 
ous ephemeral  governments  of  that  disas- 
trous period. 

On  my  return,  I  had  an  opportunity  of 
seeing  the  Palais  Bourbon;  and  in  La  Place 
de  Louis  Quinze,  the  coachman  stopped 
his  horses  to  point  out  the  spot  where  Louis 
XVI.  was  executed ;  which  of  course,  from 
the  recollection  of  past  times  and  occur- 
rences, could  not  fail  of  exciting  in  my 
mind  a  strong,  though  melancholy  feeling 
of  the  instability  of  all  human  greatness. 


FRANCE.  371 

To  those  who  are  not  unwilling  to  quit 
for  a  moment  the  "  warm  precincts  of  the 
cheertul  day,"  and  descend  among  the  re- 
mains and  sombre  chambers  of  the  dead,  the 
Catacombs  will  afford  a  subject  of  much  cu- 
riosity. After  gaining  the  depth  of  about 
sixty-feet,  by  a  spiral  flight  of  steps,  you 
have  to  traverse  a  subterraneous  gallery  of 
considerable  extent,  from  which  there  are 
many  dangerous  ramifications.  The  gal- 
lery is  circuitous  and  narrow,  and  on  its 
walls  are  inscribed  tablets  &c.  commemora- 
tive of  various  persons  and  events.  Hence 
you  arrive  at  the  deposit  of  bones,  amount- 
ing, as  it  is  said,  to  two  million  four  hun- 
dred thousand  skeletons ;  abundant  space 
still  remaining  for  future  inhabitants.  Com- 
partments are  regularly  laid  out  for  these 
mortal  remains,  which  are  arranged  per- 
pendicularly, with  greit  system  and  care. 
Some  parts  of  the  gallery  lie  an  hundred 
feet  from  the  surface  of  the  earth;  and  my 
conductor  led  me  about  a  post  league  in  ex- 
tent, on  which  occasion,  we  all  (for  I 
formed  one  of  a  large  party)  carried  a  wax 
taper,  the  reflections  from  which  produced 
bb2 


372  FRANCE. 

a  very  singular  effect.  However  amply 
we  were  gratified  by  this  visit,  every  one 
seemed  rejoiced  at  regaining  the  light  and 
warmth  of  the  sun,  after  the  chilling  damp- 
ness of  so  gloomy  a  place.  These  sacred 
repositories  are  supposed  to  be  about  seven 
hundred  years  old,  and  were  discovered 
about  one  hundred  years  ago.  They  are 
said,  with  what  foundation  I  know  not, 
to  have  been  formed  by  digging  for 
stone,  in  order  to  assist  in  building  Paris. 
They  first  became  a  receptacle  for  bones 
about  forty  years  ago,  in  consequence  of 
the  burial-ground  of  the  city  being  over- 
filled. The  revolution,  as  you  may  well 
suppose,  has  contributed  pretty  largely  to 
this  collection,  and  the  bodies  of  the  vic- 
tims to  its  ravages,  thrown  promiscuously 
into  the  Catacombs,  are  walled  up.  The 
last  deposition  was  made  in  1814.  This 
mode  of  burial  is  conducted  by  night,  and 
by  means  of  carriages  contructed  for  the 
purpose.  Among  the  names  of  visitors  to 
this  place,  I  observed  that  of  the  Emperor 
of  Austria.  Buonaparte  has  never  seen  it. 
Tive  times  the  population  of  Paris,  it  is  said, 


FRANCE.  373 

can  be  contained  in  these  vaults.  En- 
gineers are  appointed  to  make  regular  in- 
spections, and  report  from  time  to  time  to 
the  prefect  of  the  city,  under  whose  direc- 
tion the  establishment  is  kept. 

The  propensity  inherent  in  our  nature, 
to  view  the  remains  of  places  which  have 
formerly  been  distinguished  bv  remarkable 
events,  induced  me  to  visit  the  scite  on 
which  the  Bastile  stood,  retaining  vestiges 
only  of  its  former  position  and  strength, 
and  mouldered  into  a  mass  of  ruins. 

The  costly  and  elegant  bridge  of  Aus- 
terlitz,  not  far  from  this  spot,  excites  much 
admiration.  It  is  at  once  the  lightest  and 
handsomest  fabric  of  the  kind  I  ever  saw. 

In  this  neighbourhood  I  was  shown  a 
fountain,  which,  during  the  disturbances 
of  1792,  was  made  to  spout  forth  wine  for 
two  days  together,  in  order  to  assist  in 
maddening  the  passions  of  the  people. 

'  La  Musee  des  Monumens    Francais,' 


37*  FRANCE. 

occupied  a  considerable  share  of  my  atten- 
tion. Monsieur  Le  Noir,  to  whom  the 
world  is  indebted  for  this  interesting  exhi- 
bition, collected  together  the  contents  of 
this  Museum  from  the  wreck  of  the  Revo- 
lution, when  the  churches  were  ransacked, 
and  many  monuments  either  entirely  torn 
to  pieces,  or  partially  mutilated,  and  ar- 
ranged them  systematically  ^by  centuries,) 
in  the  convent  of  the  Augustins.  The  bar- 
barous spoliation  these  monuments  were 
subjected  to  was  certainly  a  sufficient  ex- 
cuse for  their  removal  from  their  original 
stations  ;  although,  could  their  safety  have 
been  secured,  it  would  have  been  sacri- 
lege to  have  displaced  them.  The  interior 
of  the  convent  and  the  gardens  are  entirely 
dedicated  to  them,  and  in  the  latter  they 
are  arranged  in  as  classical  and  suitable  a 
manner  as  circumstances  would  allow. 
Among  these  the  simple  tomb  of  Heloise 
and  Abelard,  actually  containing  the  ashes 
of  these  faithful  and  unfortunate  lovers, 
surrounded  by  cypresses,  attracts  the  most 
general  interest. 


FRANCE.  375 

I  must  not  omit  mentioning  the  church 
of  "  Notre  Dame,"  which,  however,  dis- 
appointed me.  The  Spanish  cathedrals, 
and  some  of  those  in  our  own  country  are 
so  infinitely  superior  to  it,  that  it  failed  to 
excite  much  interest.  Had  not  my  ideas 
been  raised  previously  by  many  accounts 
of  it,  I  should  perhaps  have  admired  it 
more.  The  Imperial  regalia  kept  in  this 
church  are  the  most  popular  objects  of  cu- 
riosity, and  the  gold  service  for  high  mass 
is  very  superb.  The  crown  of  Charle- 
magne, and  some  others,  the  sceptre  &c. 
are  all  exhibited  here,  together  with  the 
splendid  robes  of  the  Emperor  and  Em- 
press, made  of  crimson  velvet,  and  edged 
with  rich  embroidery  and  ermine's  skin, 
and  studded  with  gold  bees.  A  golden 
globe,  said  to  contain  the  crown  of  thorns 
placed  on  our  Saviour's  head,  and  a  piece 
of  the  cross,  are  also  shewn. 

In  my  next  I  must  conclude  my  hasty 
remarks  on  Paris. 


376  FRANCE, 


LETTER  XXXII. 


Gobelin's  Tapestry — Porcelain  Manufactory — Luxenh 
bourg  iSrc.  —  Palais  Roy  ale  —  Theatres  —  Tivoli  — 
Paris  considered,  with  Reference  to  intellectual  and 
sensual  Enjoyments— Deficient  State  of  Society — 
Conclusion. 


Paris,  July,  1814. 

I  shall  now  touch  upon  one  or  two  more 
matters,  and  then,  from  necessity,  draw 
my  remarks  on  Paris  to  a  conclusion.  Of 
all  the  manufactories  which  I  have  seen,  I 
have  been  most  struck  with  Gobelin's  tapes- 
try, the  only  one  of  the  kind,  I  believe,  in 
Europe.  It  is  exceedingly  interesting. — 
While  I  was  there,  they  were  copying  Le 
Thyere's  celebrated  picture  of  the  execu- 
tion of  Brutus's  sons;  the  original  of  which 
rivets  every  one's  attention,  on  entering  the 


FRANCE.  377 

gallery  of  paintings  in  the  Louvre,  from  the 
admirable  manner  in  which  the  story  is  told. 

The  Porcelain  manufactory,  on  the  road 
to  Versailles,  is  an  object  of  universal  cu- 
riosity, specimens  of  which  will,  no  doubt, 
soon  become  common  in  England. 

The  Palace  of  the  Luxembourg,  forms 
another  object  worthy  of  notice,  not  only 
from  the  very  splendid  and  well  known  gal- 
lery of  pictures  by  llubens,  which  it  con- 
tains, but  also  from  several  other  circum- 
stances of  attraction.  While  I  was  in  the 
building,  I  went  to  see  the  House  of  Peers, 
which  is  fitted  up  in  the  most  elaborate  and 
elegant  style.  I  was,  however,  more  struck 
with  the  House  of  Commons,  which,  though 
less  splendid,  wears  an  aspect  of  classic 
taste,  unrivalled  by  any  thing  of  the  kind 
which  I  have  ever  seen.  The  external  form 
of  the  latter  building  is  superior  also  to 
that  of  the  first. 

Of  the  evening  amusements,  the  choice 
Jies  principally  among   the  theatres,   the 


378  FRANCE. 

gardens  of  Tivoli,  and  a  promenade  round 
the  Palais  Royale;  which,  at  night,  is  much 
thronged,  while  the  brilliancy  of  the  lights, 
proceeding  from  the  different  cafes,  res- 
taurateurs, shops  &c.  contrasted  with  the 
sombre  shades  of  the  trees,  add  much  to  the 
beauty,  gaiety,  and  liveliness  of  the  varied, 
bustling  scene  perpetually  going  forward. 
To  describe  the  theatres  of  Paris  would  be 
endless,  for  they  are  almost  innumerable ; 
none  of  them  rival  ours  in  dimensions  and 
decoration,  though  the  ballet,  as  got  up  at 
the  French  opera,  is  infinitely  superior  to 
any  thing  of  the  kind  I  have  ever  seen  in 
our  own.  The  corps  de  ballet  is  more 
numerous  and  far  better  conducted,  and 
nothing  can  exceed  their  dancing,  or  the 
whole  of  the  scenic  representation. 

The  gardens  of  Tivoli  are  delightful,  and 
I  think,  excel,  in  many  respects  those  of 
Vauxhall,  especially  in  the  fire- works.  My 
time  will  not  permit  me  to  give  you  a  more 
extended  account,  of  the  various  interest- 
ing matters  contained  in  this  city,  and  I 
must  proceed  to  draw  my  letter  to  a  con- 


FRANCE.  S79 

elusion;  for  were   I    to  attempt  naming 
even  all  that  I  have  seen,  or  every  thing 
worthy  of  notice,  I  should  extend  my  cor- 
respondence to  limits  far  too  wide  for  our 
mutual  convenience  and  desires.  The  short 
period  I  have  been  obliged  to  allow  myself 
in  this  city,  has  only  served  to  give  me  a 
wish,  at  some  future  period,  of  revisiting 
its   numerous  attractions,  when  more  lei- 
sure may  be  afforded  me.     With  the  city 
of  Paris  itself,  regarding  only  its  streets 
and  houses,  I  cannot  say  that  I  am  much 
fascinated;  but  of  all  the  places  on   the 
face  of  the  globe,  where  a  man,  with  time 
at  his  command,  may  best  enjoy  either  a 
sensual    or    intellectual    existence,    Paris 
I  should   conceive,   to  be  the  most  pre- 
eminent ;  for  I  know  of  no  place,  where 
every  taste  and  pursuit  can  be  more  fully 
gratified  with  so  little  trouble  and  expence. 
The  literati,  the  philosopher,   the  man  of 
science,  the  naturalist,  the  artist,  and  even 
the  man  of  pleasure,  may   here   all  find 
themes  for  consideration  and  amusement. 
There   is,    notwithstanding,   one  point  of 
view  in  which  Paris  does  not  present  so 


380  FRANCE. 

favourable  an  aspect;  I  allude  to  the  state 
of  society.  This  has  experienced  the  ef- 
fects of  the  revolution  in  a  reversed  ratio 
to  that  which  has  influenced  the  various 
sources  of  intellectual  and  sensual  enjoy- 
ment above  named.  While  the  former 
have  thrived,  and,  as  it  were,  risen  from 
the  confusion  of  revolutionary  times, 
the  latter  has  decayed  in  a  degree  too 
sensible  to  escape  the  commonest  ob- 
server. 

Where  refined  and  fashionable  society, 
or  even  the  more  ordinary  kind,  exists 
in  France,  I  am  at  a  loss  to  know. — 
One  would  naturally  be  led  to  look  for 
it  in  the  metropolis,  but  there  we  should 
seek  it  in  vain.  Where,  I  have  asked, 
are  the  people  of  fashion  ?  where  their 
equipages?  their  houses? — The  reply  has 
ever  been,  there  are  none  to  be  found. 
Terror,  dismay,  confusion,  and  uncer- 
tainty have  so  long  prevailed  through- 
out all  ranks  of  society;  the  dictatorial 
arm  of  military  despotism  has  so  long 
swayed  the  country ;  the  cries  of  war  have 


FRANCE.  381 

so  long  wrung  in  the  ears  of  the  nation, 
that  some  years  of  peace  are  requisite  in 
order  to  re-establish  that  order  of  things, 
which,  by  banishing  distrust  and  doubt, 
can  alone  restore  the  blessings  of  civil  so- 
ciety, and  mutual  and  friendly  intercourse 
among  the  people.  Under  the  benign  and 
paternal  influence  of  Louis's  reign  it  is  to 
be  hoped,  this  desired  state  of  society  may 
be  in  due  time  restored,  and  united  by  firm 
bonds  to  those  undeniable  advantages 
which  have  grown  out  of  the  turbulence  of 
past  days. 


But  while  I  am  thus  indulging  in  specu- 
lations of  the  future,  I  forget  for  a  moment, 
that  Buonaparte  lives;  that  his  marshals, 
who  have  profited  by  his  ambitious  career, 
also  live,  and  that  the  army  is  disbanded, 
and,  in  a  great  measure,  has  lost  its  occu- 
pation, and  its  hopes  ;  while  the  soldiery, 
on  returning  to  domestic  life,  have  little 
better  to  cheer  themselves  with,  than  the 
contemplation  of  all  the  evils  which  poverty 
and  inoccupation  induce. 


382  FRANCE. 

I  am  as  much  disposed  as  yon,  or  any  one 
equally  loyal,  can  be,  to  flatter  myself  with 
the  most  sanguine  expectations  of  the  new 
government,  and  position  of  affairs  in 
France.  But,  when  I  reflect  upon  the  tem- 
per of  the  nation,  and  consider  that  the 
blow  struck  by  all  Europe  in  arms  against 
it  has  fallen  short  of  complete  subjugation  ; 
I  tremble  for  the  consequences  of  a  little 
breathing  time  to  the  people,  and  cannot 
induce  myself  to  believe,  without  having 
that  belief  shaken  by  doubts,  that  the  re- 
newal of  the  "  good  old  times"  will  be 
universally  hailed  with  permanent  cordi- 
ality throughout  the  country;  mingled  with 
the  desired  blessings  of  those  times,  there 
are  circumstances,  of  which  the  altered 
state  of  public  feeling,  I  am  convinced, 
will  never  reconcile  itself  to  the  entire 
adoption. 

Should  a  just  and  cautious  respect  be 
paid  to  both  old  and  new  systems,  it  is 
possible  the  Bourbons  may  prevail;  but 
without   attending  to  a   proper  medium, 


FRANCE.  383 

without  leaning  a  little  to  reigning  prin- 
ciples and  prejudices,  I,  for  my  part,  enter- 
tain little  hopes  of  lasting  peace,  and  un- 
threatened  dominion  to  the  restored  family 
upon  the  throne. 


384  FRANCE- 


LETTER   XXXIII. 


Return  from  Paris — Reflections  upon  our  general 
Reception  while  marching  through  France — Division 
ef  Opinions  throughout  the  Nation  on  the  Change  of 
Affairs — State  of  Religion. 


Cantonments  near  Boulogne,  July,  1814. 

After  having  fully  gratified,  in  the  man- 
ner I  have  described,  my  ardent  desire  of 
visiting  Paris,  and  which  the  delays  attend- 
ant upon  embarkation  afforded  me  suffi- 
cient opportunity  of  indulging,  I  posted  the 
remainder  of  my  journey  to  the  coast 
about  Boulogne.  I  shall  now  proceed  to 
conclude  the  long  and  highly  interesting 
tour,  which  I  have  had  the  good  fortune  to 
accomplish,  from  a  point  which  a  few 
months  back  the  most  sanguine  expecta- 


FRANCE.  385 

tion    could    scarely    have    predicted    we 
should  ever  have  arrived  at. 

In  journeying  from  Paris  we  have  fallen 
in  with  so  many  of  our  countrymen,  that  I 
have  from  that  period  scarcely  been  able  to 
consider  myself  in  a  foreign  country.  All 
things  appear  to  wear  the  stamp  of  British 
habits  and  manners,  the  English  are  every 
where  talked  of,  and  their  language  is 
commonly  understood.  The  most  com- 
mon enquiry  made  by  my  countrymen  has 
been  chiefly  with  respect  to  the  reception 
we  experienced  in  our  passage  through 
France.  You  will  bear  in  mind  that  in  our 
march  through  the  country  on  our  return 
to  England,  when  the  object  of  the  British 
army  entering  France  was  accomplished, 
and  the  fate  of  the  country  decided,  that 
the  feelings  of  the  people  must  have  been 
greatly  altered  in  consequence  of  the  late 
decided  turn  which  affairs  have  subse- 
quently taken.  Any  one  imagining  that 
we  could  be  received  universally  with  open 
arms,  and  greeted  with  general  enthusiasm. 
and  heartfelt  satisfaction,  must,  under  the 
c  c 


386  FRANCE. 

existing  circumstances  of  the  case,  be  very 
ignorant  indeed  of  the  feelings  that  com- 
monly actuate  human  nature,  and  with 
those  which  lead  this  nation  in  particular, 
for,  its  predominant  character  being  that 
of  vanity,  little  indulgence  can  be  expect- 
ed by  those  who  have  so  materially  contri- 
buted to  mortify  their  feelings,  and  humble 
their  national  pride. 

The  French  appear  to  me  warm  and 
sanguine  while  any  great  events  are  pend- 
ing, and  this  disposition  they  all  individu- 
ally evince  to  whatever  side  they  may  in- 
cline. But  throughout  the  whole  race  one 
paramount  idea  absorbs  every  other — a  de- 
votedness  to  the  interests  of  their  own 
country,  and  an  utter  abhorrence  from  the 
interference  of  every  other  in  their  internal 
government.  They  may,  like  ourselves,  be 
dissatisfied  with  this  or  that  ruling  party  in 
the  state,  but,  if  a  moment  should  be  left 
them  for  reflection,  they  would  rise  one 
and  all  to  repel  the  attempts  of  a  foreign 
invader,  and  no  sacrifice  would  be  consi- 
dered too  great  to  preserve.the  integrity  of 
the  country.  , 


FRANCE.  387 

Two  circumstances  weigh  very  power- 
fully in  impressing  Englishmen  with  an 
idea  of  their  not  being  well  received  by  a 
nation  which  has  so  long  shown  itself  a  de- 
termined and  gallant  enemy.  In  the  ac- 
tual situation  of  the  two  countries  how  is  it 
possible  to  expect  any  thing  very  different 
from  what  has  really  occurred?  The  French, 
in  the  first  instance,  from  the  unexpected 
change  of  affairs,  have  been  severely  morti- 
fied by  the  prowess  of  that  country,  which, 
in  the  pride  of  victory,  they  had  affected  to 
despise ;  and,  in  the  second  place,  some- 
thing of  a  similar  nature  must  have  occur- 
red from  the  consciousness  that  their  pre- 
sent situation,  instead  of  proceeding  from 
themselves,  has  been  forced  upon  them  by 
the  strong  arm  and  united  powers  of  those 
nations  upon  which  they  had  so  recently 
trampled. . 

It  may  be  naturally  conceived  that  these 
two  circumstances  combined,  tended  to 
produce  an  irritable  feeling  and  dissatis- 
faction, which  the  very  march  of  British 
troops  through  the  heart  of  their  country 
had  a  disposition  to  augment. 
c  c  2 


38S  FRANCE. 

With  some  exceptions,  the  inhabitants  of 
the  southern  provinces  appear  to  be  more 
generally  in  favour  of  the  restoration  of  the 
Bourbons  than  those  bordering  upon  the 
metropolis,  and  to  manifest  a  warmer 
friendship  for  the  British.  But,  wherever 
any  of  the  French  troops  are  found,  it  may 
easily  be  supposed  the  natural  rivalry  and 
jealousy  existing  between  the  two  nations 
is  ready  to  burst  forth.  Nevertheless,  I  am 
inclined  to  believe,  that  instances  of  open 
insult  to  the  military  are  of  much  less  fre- 
quent occurrence  than  is  generally  sup. 
posed  ;  though  certainly  some  instances  of 
the  kind  have  taken  place.  In  the  town  of 
Montauban  the  following  outrage  occurred, 
which,  as  it  happened  under  ray  own 
knowledge,  I  shall  here  relate.  A  British 
officer,  who,  in  compliment  to  the  new  or- 
der of  things,  had  mounted  the  white 
cockade,  was  attacked  by  a  party  of  French 
officers  in  the  interest  of  Buonaparte,  who 
endeavoured,  in  a  rude  and  forcible  man- 
ner, to  tear  it  from  his  cap.  The  English 
officer  of  course  resisted  this  violent  and 
unjustifiable  outrage,  and. an  old  French 
officer  arriving  at  the  moment,  and  taking 


FRANCE.  389 

an  active  part  in  the  business,  put  an  end 
to  the  affray,  reprobated  the  conduct  of  his 
brother  officers,  and  declared  the  English 
officer  to  have  acted  with  the  most  perfect 
propriety,  and  the  upshot  of  the  whole  was 
that  a  fair  challenge  from  the  latter,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  insult  he  received,  was  re- 
fused in  the  most  evasive  and  dastardly 
manner. 

Our  intercourse  being  very  slender  with 
the  higher  ranks  of  society,  and  our  con- 
nection, from  the  circumstances  of  their  si- 
tuation, with  the  lower  orders,  very  limited, 
it  is,  perhaps,  not  very  surprising  that  the 
latter  should  have  endeavoured  to  make  the 
most  of  us  during  our  passage  through  the 
country.  And,  I  must  acknowledge,  that 
they  were  not  in  general  behind  hand  in 
practising  every  species  of  extortion, 
which,  it  is  perhaps  only  justice  to  admit, 
that  the  French  themselves  would  inevita- 
bly have  experienced  had  they  been  travel- 
ling through  our  own  country  in  a  similar 
manner.  That  there  was  an  uniform,  or 
even  frequent  disposition  to  annoy  and  in* 


390  FRANCE. 

suit  the  English,  I  have  no  hesitation  in  de- 
nying most  positively;  and  so  far  as  my  ex- 
perience has  gone,  the  French  in  general 
have  behaved  with  more  hospitality,  civili- 
ty and  kindness,  than  the  Spaniards,  who 
were  bound  by  the  strongest  ties  of  moral 
obligation  to  acknowledge  by  every  means 
in  their  power  the  eminent  services  we  had 
rendered  them,  services  which  can  admit  of 
no  question,  desired  by  themselves,  neces- 
sary to  their  welfare,  and  without  which 
they  must  actually  have  failed  of  finally 
accomplishing  their  purposes  However 
much  we,  who  stand  aloof  from  the  preju- 
dices of  the  French,  must  dislike  the  poli- 
cy of  their  late  usurper,  and  regard  with 
somewhat  of  self-complacency  the  recent 
change  of  affairs,  which  has  been  brought 
about  chiefly  by  our  own  exertions,  yet  we 
must  not  allow  prejudice  so  far  to  blind  us, 
as  to  make  it  a  cause  for  wonder  and  asto- 
nishment, that  the  feelings  of  the  French 
nation  are  not  altogether  in  unison  with  our 
own.  But,  as  this  is  a  subjeet  which  might 
carry  me  to  greater  lengths  than  I  can  at 
present  afford  time  to  devote  to  it,  I  con- 


FRANCE.  391 

tent  myself  with  giving  you  merely  a  gene- 
ral idea  of  our  reception  during  our  pas- 
sage through  the  country.  In  doing  this  I 
have  perhaps  succeeded  in  shewing  you  that 
the  respect  and  admiration  almost  univer- 
sally entertained  for  the  abilities  of  Buona- 
parte, cannot  easily  be  eradicated  ;  and  no- 
thing, I  am  convinced,  will  reconcile  the 
people  at  large  to  the  late  peace,  the  very 
nature  of  which,  by  circumscribing  their 
possessions,  and  in  some  respects  lowering 
their  national  character,  can  scarcely  be 
expected  to  be  very  popular  among  them. 
It  remains  to  be  ascertained  whether  the 
coercion  which  has  been  necessarily  used 
by  the  Allies,  will  be  likely  to  produce 
those  disinterested  ends,  which  I  am  wil- 
ling to  suppose  first  led  to  the  late  formida- 
ble coalition  against  the  unjust  pretensions 
of  this  powerful  and  dangerous  nation. 

With  respect  to  the  state  of  religion  in 
this  country,  or  rather  to  the  almost  abso- 
lute want  of  it,  it  is  very  difficult  to  speak 
either  with  accuracy  or  impartiality.  The 
gseat  indifference  to  subjects  of  this  nature 


392  FRANCE. 

observable  among  the  larger  proportion  of 
the  people,  and  the  extreme  bigotry  of  the 
remainder  to  all  their  former  superstitious 
notions,  are  I  fear  very  likely  to  open  a 
•wide  door  for  the  re-establishment  of  the 
Catholic  religion  with  all  its  powers  and 
abuses.  I  am  induced  to  say  this,  not  only 
from  the  instances  which  I  have  myself  wit- 
nessed of  the  returning  tide  of  prejudice 
and  superstition,  but  also  from  the  natural 
tendency  of  human  nature,  ever  prone  to 
proceed  from  the  excess  of  licentiousness 
to  the  most  violent  intolerance,  and  vice 
versa. 

During  the  performances  of  high  mass,  I 
have  observed  a  striking  mixture  of  those 
two  most  distinct  feelings,  though  the  lat- 
ter is  at  this  moment  evidently  gaining 
ground.  The  activity  of  the  catholic  priests 
in  promoting  prosylitism  is  almost  prover- 
bial, and  when  aided  as  it  now  is  by  the 
military  arm,  cannot  fail  of  making  in  a 
short  time,  the  most  rapid  prog'  ess.  The  cir- 
cumstances which  1  have  often  witnessed 
during  divine  service,   in  several  places,, 


FRANCE.  393 

will,  perhaps,  better  elucidate  the  few  re- 
flections I  have  ventured  to  make,  than  by 
giving  any  further  detail  of  my  opinions 
upon  the  subject. 

In  one  church,  where  curiosity  had  in- 
duced me  and  some  others  to  be  present ; 
While  divine  service  was  performing,  we 
were  desired  by  one  of  the  gens-d'armes 
in  attendance,  to  leave  the  church,  unless 
we  openly  conformed  to  all  the  discipline 
of  Catholicism,  and  we  accordingly  felt 
ourselves  under  the  necessity  of  with- 
drawing. 

From  the  specimens  I  had  seen  in  Por- 
tugal and  Spain,  and  the  many  instances  I 
had  heard  of  the  contempt  shown  for  all 
sacred  institutions  by  the  French  armies,  I 
was  not  a  little  surprized  at  this  extraor- 
dinary display  of  sanctity,  which  I  believe, 
would  scarcely  have  been  tolerated  in  the 
most  bigoted  times  of  old  France.  The 
inhabitants  upon  the  occasion  of  this  cere- 
mony, which  had  commenced  in  the  church, 
and  was  afterwards  continued  through  the 


394  FRANCE. 

principal  streets  of  the  town,  by  special 
order,  hung  their  walls  with  white  sheets, 
and  raised  several  altars,  decorated  with 
garlands  of  flowers,  and  various  other  or- 
naments in  the  midst  of  them.  The  pro- 
cession moved  from  the  church,  accom- 
panied by  a  number  of  priests  and  other 
customary  attendants,  and  the  host  was 
carried  under  an  elegant  canopy,  while  a 
lamb  decorated  with  blue  ribbons,  was  led 
to  one  of  the  altars,  and  then  sacrified. 
The  whole  was  performed  with  great  stage 
effect,  and  protected  by  a  large  party  of 
the  gens-d'armes,  who  enforced  the  strict- 
est obedience  and  respect  from  every  by- 
stander, prohibiting  at  the  same  time  the 
approach  of  every  Englishman,  unless  he 
presented  himself  uncovered.  And  as 
they  were  pretty  summary  in  their  pro- 
ceedings, several  officers,  either  from  igno- 
rance or  inattention,  experienced  very  gross 
insults;  which  however,  upon  a  representa- 
tion to  the  proper  authorities  were  highly 
disapproved  of,  though  the  instances  hav- 
ing occurred  tend  to  shew  pretty  clearly 
the   altered  temper  and  disposition  of  the 


FRANCE.  395 

people.     I  was  informed  that  it  was  a  com- 
mon belief,  among  many  of  the  people  and 
very  frequently  expressed,  that  we  had  no 
religion  at  all ;  to  which  I  replied,  that  it 
was  our  custom  to  perform  our  devotions 
more  in  private,  without  the  aid  of  military 
parade,  or   the   gorgeous  processions  and 
imposing  ceremonies  of  the  catholic  church, 
though  probably  that  our  ideas  respecting 
religious  subjects  were  not  less  sincere  than 
their  own.     As   to  the  priests,  we  are,  I 
believe,  universally  esteemed  by  them  as 
obstinate  heretics ;  and,  indeed,  one  of  the 
former,  speaking  of  our  brigade,  which  he 
much  admired,  added,  that  it  was  very  la- 
mentable to  see  so  many  fine  fellows  who 
had  no  chance  of  salvation. 

With  these  remarks  I  shall  now  conclude 
my  letter,  and  may  probably,  in  case  of 
farther  detention,  find  some  subjects  of 
amusement  yet  untouched  upon  that  may 
furnish  matter  for  a  concluding  letter. 


396  FRANCE* 


LETTER  XXXIV. 


Travelling  in  France  compared  with  Portugal  and 
Spain — Auberges,  fyc. — Country  Wine  and  Beer' — 
Maisons  a  louer — Posting  and  Diligences — Chari- 
table Institutions — Beggars —  Conclusion. 


Cantonments,  near  Boulogne,  July,  1814. 

As  it  has  turned  out,  according  to  my  ex- 
pectations, that  our  embarkation  is  still  de- 
layed, I  am  enabled  to  furnish  you  with  the 
few  remaining  observations  alluded  to  in  my 
last  letter.  The  first  subject,  to  which  I  shall 
direct  your  attention,  will  relate  to  the  ac- 
commodations for  travelling  afforded  in 
France,  when  compared  with  those  of  Por- 
tugal and  Spain.  With  England  it  is  useless 
to  make  a  comparison,  as  we  all  well  know 
the  general  superiority  of  our-  own  country 


FRANCE.  397 

over  that  of  every  other,  in  the  facility  and 
comforts  open  to   travellers  of  every  de- 
scription.   The  chief  distinction  observable 
between  travelling  in  France  and  the  ad- 
jacent countries  beyond  the  pyrenees,  con- 
sists in  the  opportunity  every  where   af- 
forded in  the  former  of  procuring  carriages 
of  all  kinds,  together  with  the  abundant 
distribution  of  hotels,  inns,  restaurateurs 
kc.   whereas  in  Portugal  and  Spain,   the 
former  particularly,  there  being  very  few 
roads   capable   of  affording  a   passage  to 
wheeled-carriages  beyond  a  short  distance, 
the  only  choice  left  for  the  traveller  is  to 
adopt  the  usual  practice  of  those,  countries, 
of  riding  upon  mules,  which,  for  numer- 
ous and  obvious  reasons,  is  subject   to  a 
variety  of  inconveniencies;  to  this  may  be 
added,  not  only  the  great  distances   you 
may  have  to  travel  before  any  posada  or  inn 
presents  itself,  but  also  the  frequent  defi- 
ciency of  comfortable  accommodation   at 
such    places,    and  the  scarcity   and   bad 
quality   of  the    food.     In  these  essential 
points,  France,  as  in  every  other  point  of 


39S  FRANCE. 

civilization,     greatly     exceeds    both    her 
western  neighbours. 

And  moreover,  a  traveller  in  this  coun- 
try is  not  exposed,  as  he  perpetually  is  in 
the  others,  to  plunder,  robbery,  and  assas- 
sination ;  atrocities,  which  the  slow  pace 
of  the  post  mules,  and  the  exposure  of  the 
persons  of  their  riders,  very  greatly  con- 
tributes to  promote.  The  inns  or  auberges 
in  France,  certainly  exceeded  greatly  the 
ideas  I  had  previously  formed  of  them. — 
Though  many  exceptions  to  the  contrary 
are  sometimes  met  with,  yet  I  generally 
found  them  much  less  inferior  to  our  own 
than  I  had  been  led  to  believe,  and  have 
not  unfrequently  been  quartered  in  some 
hotels  &c.  which  are  spacious,  elegant,  and 
even  (what  your  national  prejudice  will 
perhaps  scarcely  allow  you  to  credit)  very 
cleanly;  the  landlords  of  which,  are  as  civil 
and  attentive,  and  furnish,  I  assure  you,  as 
good  and  wholesome  meals  as  you  will 
meet  with  at  the  very  best  houses  on  the 
English   roads.     The  older  inns  are   un- 


FRANCE. 


doubtedly  totally  out  of  the  pale  of  this 
favourable  account,  but  in  respect  to  many 
of  the  modern  auberges  it  is  strictly  true. 
One  of  the  principal  luxuries  which  I  have 
enjoyed  in  the  latter,  is  the  excellence  of 
their  beds,  the  construction  and  arrange- 
ment of  which  are  to  my  mind  even  pre- 
ferable to  the  common  method  adopted 
in  England.  On  the  high  road  to  Paris, 
from  the  coast  about  Boulogne  &c.  you 
would  not  find  my  assertions  at  all  veri- 
fied; but,  were  you  to  pass  to  the  south- 
ward, I  am  convinced  you  would  sub- 
scribe to  the  justness  of  these  remarks. 
The  signs  of  the  different  auberges  resem- 
ble ours,  as  lion  d'or,  lion  argent,  grand 
cerf,  soleil  d'or,  Paigle  d'or  Sec. 

At  almost  all  of  these  places  the  eye 
is  attracted  by  the  words  "  bon  double 
bierre,"  often  written  upon  a  sheet  of  co- 
loured paper,  accompanied  with  a  drawing, 
which  represents  a  gentleman  and  lady 
equipped  in  travelling  dresses,  supposed 
to  be  refreshing  themselves  on  the  way 
with  this  favourite  beverage;  and  in  order 


400  FRANCE. 

to  indicate  its  peculiar  excellence,  the 
happy  pair  are  seen  (according  to  our 
English  phrase  of  nobbing  and  nobbing) 
to  bring  their  glasses  into  contact,  while 
the  effervescent  contents  foam  from  one 
into  the  other.  In  many  instances  I  have 
found  this  liquor  deserving  of  its  reputa- 
tion, and  usually  far  preferable  to  the  ge- 
nerality of  their  '  bon  vin,'  the  latter  of 
which  is  often  extremely  weak  and  acidu- 
lous, somewhat  indeed  resembling  in  qua- 
lity a  mixture  of  cyder  and  vinegar.  Su- 
perior wine  is  however  to  be  met  with, 
though  I  do  not  think  that  the  '  vin  du 
pave  ordinaire'  of  France  is  to  be  com- 
pared with  the  country  wines  of  Portugal 
and  Spain. 

The  great  profusion  of  these  auberges 
caused  billets  to  be  issued  by  the  magi- 
strates repeatedly  upon  them,  during  our 
inarch  through  the  country.;  so  that  instead 
of  being  quartered,  as  in  Portugal  and 
Spain,  upon  private  families,  our  abode 
was  more  frequently  in  public-houses,  much 
to  the  advantage  of  the  inn-keepers,  though 


FRANCE.  401 

seldom  to  that  of  ourselves.  Besides  the 
auberges  in  large  towns  there  are  many 
"  chambres  a  louer,"  announced  on  the 
outside  of  large  houses,  the  various  inha- 
bitants of  which  are  usually  not  of  the  most 
select  description;  and,  from  the  construc- 
tion of  the  rooms,  privacy  and  comfort  are 
out  of  the  question.  I  was  once  quartered 
on  such  a  place,  and  on  enquiring  for  my 
room,  was  introduced  to  a  spacious  dirty 
garret,  furnished  with  several  broken-down 
bedsteads,  chairs,  and  tables,  adorned  with 
old  and  dirty  moth-eaten  green  tapistry,  al- 
together presenting  so  woeful  an  appear- 
ance as  could  scarcely  have  been  paralleled 
in  Grub-street. 

There  being  no  less  than  four  different 
doors  communicating  with  various  lesser 
rooms  and  passages,  it  was  late  before  the 
numerous  lodgers  ceased  to  pass  and  re- 
pass, and  when  I  deemed  it  prudent,  I 
followed  the  example  of  those  who  occu- 
pied the  other  beds  (among  which  was  an 
whole  family  of  children  in  one)  and  pre- 
pared to  stretch  myself  on  my  dirty  couch. 
D'd 


402  FRANCE. 

Before  however  I  could  effect  this  com- 
pletely, a  party,  consisting  of  an  old  man 
and  three  women,  (all  intoxicated)  accom- 
panied by  two  children,  burst  into  the  room, 
apparently  arrived  from  some  fair  or  revel, 
and  seated  themselves  with  perfect  sang- 
froid round  a  table,  to  enjoy  their  supper 
before  they  retired  to  rest.  In  vain  I  re- 
monstrated, and  insisted  upon  my  right  to 
the  privacy  of  the  room,  in  order  to  get  to 
bed.  "  Restez  tranquile,  monsieur,"  was 
the  only  answer  I  could  obtain,  and  it  was 
not  without  considerable  opposition  and 
difficulty,  on  my  part,  that  I  at  length  per- 
suaded them  to  retire  to  their  chamber, 
where  they  all  went  to  sup  and  to  sleep. 
Early  the  next  morning  I  was  awakened  by 
my  busy  fellow-lodgers,  and  without  much 
stretch  of  imagination,  might  easily  have 
conceived  myself  to  be  lying  in  an  open 
street,  in  the  most  frequented  part  of  the 
town,  from  the  multiplicity  of  people  that 
continually  passed  and  repassed  by  the 
foot  of  my  bed,  leaving  me  in  as  little  hopes 
of  avoiding  rising,  as  I  had  experienced  of 
sleeping,  in  public.     This  chamber  seemed 


FRANCE.  403 

to  be  the  focus  where  all  the  lodgers  con- 
centrated. At  one  end  I  saw,  on  looking 
through  my  curtain,  a  party  at  breakfast, 
by  the  side  of  the  fire  some  children  were 
having  their  feet  washed,  and  the  ladies 
'  en  papilotte  et  dishabile,'  were  preparing 
for  the  recreations  of  a  Sunday  morning, 
while  a  group  was  in  constant  motion  before 
me,  among  which  I  noticed  Jilles,  garcons, 
shoe-trushers,  pedlars,  old-clothesmen,  (one 
of  whom  actually  enquired  of  me  as  I  lay 
in  bed,  if  I  had  any  small-clothes,  or  other 
garments  for  sale)  with  an  host  of  people 
of  all  kinds,  making  my  corner  of  the  room 
a  perfect  thoroughfare.  You  may  readily 
conceive,  that  my  first  care  on  getting  up, 
was  to  apply  for  another  billet,  which  Mon- 
sieur Maire,  with  many  condolences  for  my 
bad  lodging,  very  readily  afforded  me. 

With  reference  to  the  facility  of  convey- 
ance from  place  to  place,  it  may  not  be 
unamusing  to  you,  perhaps,  were  I  to  en- 
deavour to  describe  the  manner  in  which 
the  most  common  vehicles  are  conducted. 

d  d  2 


404  FRANCE. 

To  any  one  acquainted  with  Sterne's  ex- 
cellent description  of  the  French  people 
and  manners,  it  may  appear  superfluous  to 
enter  into  a  detail  of  matters  already  so 
well  described ;  but  there  are  some  circum- 
stances which,  however  accurately  pour- 
trayed,  fall  so  very  far  short  of  reality, 
that  I  cannot  help  noticing  them.  The 
liveliest  imagination  among  the  charica- 
turists  of  our  own  country,  have  never  yet 
approached  the  grotesque  reality  of  a 
French  postillion,  it  is  in  short  a  non-de- 
script  animal,  which  few  naturalists  have 
ventured  to  delineate,  and  their  prudence 
is  truly  commendable,  upon  a  subject  where 
eloquence  itself  must  fail. 

In  however  ludicrous  a  light  the  French 
postillions  may  appear,  they  certainly  meet 
with  an  equal  parallel  in  the  extraordinary 
vehicles  which  in  this  country  are  used  for 
the  same  purposes  of  our  stage  coaches. 
The  great  public  '  diligence,'  which,  from 
its  name,  reminds  me  of  the  reason  given 
for  a  grove  being  termed  in  Latin  '  lucus,' 
i.e.    *  a  non    lucendo,'    is  *  really  a   cu~ 


FRANCE.  40J 

riosty  in  all  its  points.  Its  weight,  from  the 
quantity  of  thick  iron  and  wood  work,  is 
immense,  and  its  motion  proportionally 
slow,  usually  requiring  nearly  a  dozen 
horses  to  move  it  with  an  activity  some- 
what resembling  the  speed  of  our  stage 
waggons,  the  animals  being  marshalled  in 
so  extraordinary  a  manner  as  completely  to 
confound  all  calculations  of  utility  and 
arrangement,  excepting  such  as  reside  in 
the  imagination  of  a  French  postillion.  I 
have  myself  witnessed  a  team  of  this  de- 
scription (if  I  may  be  allowed  the  expres- 
sion) placed  in  the  following  singular  style. 
Two  horses  placed  abreast  in  the  limbers, 
(carrying  by-the-bye  the  whole  weight 
of  the  carriage)  were  succeeded  by  three 
on  one  side,  and  two  on  the  other,  placed 
about  half-way,  but  not  quite  equi-distant 
from  the  hinder  ones,  and  three  others 
were  placed  irregularly  before  them,  form- 
ing altogether  a  species  of  pyramid,  which, 
as  it  may  be  very  naturally  supposed,  com- 
pletely despised  taking  any  share  in  for- 
warding the  progression  and  advance  of 
the  carnage,  the  principle  labour  of  which 


406  FRAXCE. 

fell  upon  the  ill-star'd  animals  behind. — 
Under  the  circumstances,  necessary  to 
the  conducting  of  this  complicated  affair, 
I  leave  it  to  you  as  matter  for  specula- 
tion, to  conjecture  in  what  place  the  dri- 
ver of  this  motley  group  chose  to  take 
up  his  position  ?  Perhaps  you  would  na- 
turally suppose  that  he  would  post  himself 
behind  the  two  limber  horses,  or  possibly 
be  mounted  upon  the  leader;  no  such 
tiling — he  very  quietly  seated  himself  upon 
the  near  horse  of  that  row  immediately 
succeeding  the  two  shaft  horses,  and  with  an 
intrepidity  very  worthy  of  admiration,  di- 
rected the  whole  with  a  persuasive  and  truly 
national  crack  of  the  whip  with  as  much 
sang-froid  and  management  as  one  of  our 
own  postillions  would  conduct  a  single  pair 
of  horses. 

I  shall  now  speak  of  the  various  asylums, 
hospitals  &c.  which  do  great  credit  to  the 
nation,  and  embrace  every  species  of  help- 
less objects.  I  have  seen  no  place  so  small 
but  it  possesses  some  plan  of  protection 
for  the  sick  and  lame ;  the  attention  of  the 


riuxcE.  40*7 

females  in  particular  being  highly  exem- 
plary, and  in  the  absence  of*  that  excellent 
and  social  order,  4  Les  Sccurs  de  la  Cha- 
rite'  ladies  of  all  classes  are  in  the  habit  of 
performing  the  offices  of  matrons  in  rota- 
tion to  the  different  hospitals.  Among 
these  establishments,  the  most  interesting 
appeared  to  me  to  be  those  lC  pour  les  Fn- 
fans  abandonees,"  and  the  asylums  for  the 
deaf  and  dumb.  The  former  are  arranged 
into  different  classes  according  to  the  years 
of  the  children  and  other  circumstances. 
One  room  is  appropriated  indiscriminately 
to  infants  of  both  sexes ;  a  second  to  girls 
of  a  more  advanced  age;  and  a  third  to  the 
elder  boys,  the  whole  presenting  a  sight 
really  gratifying,  as  happiness,  content, 
cheerfulness  and  industry  seem  to  reign 
throughout  the  whole  of  these  establish- 
ments. It  may  readily  be  supposed  that 
such  advantages  are  eagerly  sought  after  in 
a  nation  so  reduced  and  impoverished  as 
Fiance,  by  parents,  who,  though  possessing 
the  will,  may  be  deficient  in  the  mean*-  t>-r 
maintaining  their  offspring. 


408  FRANCE. 

In  Bourdeaux  there  were  2800  children 
put  out  to  nurse  at  one  time,  by  a  single 
institution  alone,  while  400  were  main- 
tained within  doors,  together  with  60  in- 
fants newly  born,  by  the  same  charity. 

The  mode  of  receiving  children  into 
these  asylums  may  appear  to  you  some- 
what singular,  a  frame-work  poised  upon  a 
swivel  is  placed  at  the  outer  door,  in  which 
the  little  foundling  is  laid,  and  this  being 
turned  round,  presents  the  forsaken  or- 
phan to  the  notice  of  those  whose  business 
it  is  to  take  it  in,  where  it  cannot  long  re- 
main unobserved,  as  its  screams,  acting  in 
concert  with  the  sound  of  a  bell  connected 
with  the  above  machinery,  quickly  brings  it 
assistance.  During  the  reign  of  Napoleon, 
these  institutions  proved  a  fruitful  nursery 
for  the  army ;  and  as  these  establishments 
perhaps  contributed  in  no  small  degree  to 
the  fartherance  of  his  favourite  system  of 
policy,  they  most  probably  (while  the  coun- 
try was  under  his  sway)  met  with  all  due 
encouragement. 


FRANCE.  409 

The  asylums  for  the  deaf  and  dumb  are 
all  constructed  upon  the  ingenious  prin- 
ciple of  the  Abbe"  de  la  Pee,  and  his  suc- 
cessor, the  Abbe  Sicard.  I  have  always  ob- 
served more  intelligence  marked  in  the 
features  of  his  pupils  than  in  the  generality 
of  those  who  are  in  the  full  possession  of 
all  their  faculties. 

Yet  notwithstanding  the  many  charita- 
ble institutions  which  this  nation  affords, 
perhaps  none  exceeds  France  in  the  multi- 
plicity and  importunity  of  its  beggars.  In 
the  southern  provinces  the  traveller  is  less 
infested  with  them  than  in  the  northern, 
and  especially  in  the  environs  of  the  metro- 
polis, and  on  the  road  between  Paris  and 
Calais,  where  they  swarm  to  a  degree 
which  is  almost  inconceivable.  It  is  no 
uncommon  thing  for  an  whole  village  ap- 
parently to  sally  forth  when  strangers  are 
approaching,  while  petitions  from  every 
mouth — "  Pour  Pamour  du  Dieu,"  ad- 
dressed most  pathetically  to  "  Mi  Lord 
Anglois,"  and  assail  the  hapless  travellers, 
whose  carriage  they  one  and  all  surround 
e  e 


410  FRANCE. 

in  the  most  importunate  manner.     In  spite 
however  of  the  apparent  distress  which  is 
to  be  discovered  in  every  individual  that 
applies  to  you,  it  is  curious  to  observe,  that 
notwithstanding   the   unfortunate   circum- 
stances in  which  the  people  of  the  country 
have  for  a  long  time  been  placed,  the  na- 
tural politeness  of  the  French  is  still  in  a 
degree  predominant  over  every  other  feel- 
ing.    It  is  no  uncommon  thing  to  see  per- 
sons in  the  predicament  I  have  mentioned, 
whose   appearance  bears  evident  marks  of 
the  most  abject  poverty,  giving  place  to  fe- 
males, not  perhaps  in  worse  circumstances 
than  themselves,  and,  in  Sterne's  language, 
crying   out    "  place  aux  dames."     I  have 
witnessed  scenes  of  this  kind  more   than 
once  ;  and>  in  one  instance  in  particular  I 
recollect,  when  the  carriage  was  surround- 
ed by  a  number  of  these  mendicants,  that 
an   old  woman,  who  had  apparently  been 
long  bed-ridden,  was   brought  down  with 
some  difficulty  upon  two  men's  shoulders, 
and,  though  the  carriage  at  the  time  was 
pretty    thickly    surrounded,    every    other 
claimant  instantly  gave  way,  and  a  lane  was 


FRANCE.  4 1 1 

made  by  common  consent  for  a  passage  to 
the  vehicle,  every  man  upon  this  occasion 
(as  was  pretty  audibly  expressed,)  instantly 
resigning  his  own  pretensions  in  favour  of 
those  of  the  other  sex. 

With  these  remarks  I  shall  now  conclude 
my  correspondence,  and  those  reflections 
which  have  resulted  from  my  march  through 
the  three  kingdoms,which,  from  the  recent 
and  indeed  present  posture  of  affairs,  may 
perhaps  be  considered  as  among  the  most 
interesting  states  of  modern  Europe. 

In  the  course  of  my  progress  I  have  en- 
deavoured to  touch  upon  those  subjects 
which  my  scanty  means  of  obtaining  infor- 
mation have  afforded,  taking  it  for  granted, 
that  nothing  relating  to  Portugal,  Spain, 
and  France,  agitated  and  convulsed  as  they 
have  been  during  late  years,  can  prove  al- 
together devoid  of  interest  and  amusement. 
However  much  my  endeavours  may  fall 
short  of  the  subject,  you  will  not,  I  trust, 
accuse  me  of  vanity  when   I  assume  that 


412  FRANCE. 

merit  at  least  which  arises  from  having 
studiously  avoided  setting  down  any  thing 
with  partiality,  or  which  my  own  experience 
did  not  teach  me  to  rely  upon  as  absolutely 
authentic. 


FINIS. 


Printed  by  E.  Blackadcr,  Toole's  Court,  Chancery  Lane. 


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